Daily Lives of Boppin 2-A
by FlyingBowl51
Summary: Class 2-A of Haneoka Girls' High School is the home of a fleeting air-headed prince, a genius idol with loose screws, and a normal girl who involuntarily becomes their mom.
1. Separation and Meeting

**Chapter 1**

 **Separation and Meeting**

* * *

Lisa Imai never considered her life as dull, boring, or something along the lines. She had been living a great life. Lisa's family and friends always brought colors to her somewhat simple yet good life.

...but her time in class 2-A of Haneoka Girls' Academy was definitely something else.

"Yukina, let's—"

"Lisa," Yukina cut Lisa's sentence halfway. She crossed her arms and averted her face from the view before her. "If you're planning to break through that, then count me out."

Lisa and her best friend, Yukina Minato, witnessed a situation that unfolded at the courtyard of Haneoka Girls' High School. Hundreds of people from every grade were bustling around in front of a large announcement board that displayed a list of classrooms and its students. Every gray blazered girl there was busily looking for her own name. Chatter after chatter, even shouts were happening here and there, too.

"We should've gone earlier, ahaha," said Lisa. "It's always this crowded…"

"But I've been telling you that I don't care about class placements," Yukina replied. "...well, the crowd will thin out sooner or later."

Truth was, they had gone earlier than usual. Today was their first day as second-year students, so it was a special occasion for Lisa. Their blue ties and skirts were the new uniforms that signified their current status.

Lisa's enthusiasm didn't spread to Yukina, however. She literally had to drag Yukina from her house, as her friend was so absorbed by cat videos. The two's walk to school wasn't gone smoothly, too. They had to stop a few times because of Yukina spotting some cute stray cats.

Yukina put out her phone from her school bag, then opened a video streaming app. "I'll continue watching this morning's cat videos while waiting."

"Yeah, you'd better do that. It's gonna take some time, after all."

Lisa smiled as she recalled her best friend's soft spot for felines.

"Heya, Lisa!"

Lisa turned her head and saw three of her friends from the dance club approached her and Yukina.

"Hey, guys!" Lisa greeted them as she waved her right hand.

"...and Minato-san, too. Morning!"

Yukina shifted her focus from the phone to reply "Morning," then immediately returning to the cat videos. Lisa realized that her friend didn't seem too pleased with Yukina's cold response, judging from her friend's expression. She should try diverted her attention from Yukina, to prevent any possible clash...

"Have you checked the board yet?"

Thankfully, it worked. After the talk about classroom placement and dance club ended, the three left for their own classes.

Lisa sighed. Her friends must be astonished about the fact that she and Yukina were close friends. Their personalities were nothing alike; just like flame and water. Even their interests didn't match. While Lisa loved fashion, cooking, knitting, and dancing; Yukina had a strong passion for one and only topic: music (make it two if cats were included). Some of her friends said that Lisa and Yukina's friendship was an odd one, but she never thought of it in that way. On the contrary, their longtime friendship had been working very well because they complement each other.

"Kaoru-sama…!"

A second-year student got out of the big crowd. Her face looked so miserable because she was trying hard to hold her tears. The girl walked to a smaller group of students that was gathering outside of the announcement board's crowd.

Curious about what was going on, Lisa quietly observed the group.

A princely character named Kaoru Seta was seen at the center of the circle. The most popular girl in the school was constantly surrounded by fans wherever she went. That aside… Lisa couldn't help but notice that there was something off with the Haneoka's prince, as the tall girl didn't wear her blazer. Who would've thought there was someone who dared to walk outdoors, wearing only a relatively thin shirt, on Tokyo's cold April morning? It was 13 degrees Celcius and the winds were breezy, on top of that.

Kaoru got out of her fans' circle and approached the poor girl. "Yumi? What's wrong?" she asked. Worry was apparent on her face.

"Kaoru-sama, I…" Yumi sobbed. Before long, tears were pouring from her eyes. "I'm in 2-F!"

"I... I see… To think that we would be separated so far away like the north and south pole," said Kaoru in a lower voice. "But fret not my little kitten." She fixed her gaze to Yumi and used her fingers to wipe away the tears from the little kitten's eyes.

Rose petals flown by winds filled Lisa's vision, accompanied by a melancholic melody, appeared out of nowhere.

What was that? How could there be roses here? This school doesn't plant any! And who plays the violin?!

Lisa rubbed her eyes. She must be imagining things.

"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation," Kaoru solemnly said. She winked and added, "...well, that was, according to the great Shakespeare."

"Aaaahh, Kaoru-sama!"

Did Lisa just see that girl fainted? The rumors about Kaoru's special ability to make girls went limp was true, after all? It was... amazing, in some way. Lisa was witnessing Kaoru recited another Shakespearean passage around when she felt her phone vibrated.

Lisa took the phone from her blazer's pocket to see a LINE notification. There was a chat from Yukina that said, "I'm in front of the board" and before she could type a reply, another chat bubble popped out: "You're in 2-A".

Lisa typed "K, coming~" as she walked toward the announcement board. The crowd had dispersed. Most of the students must've gone to their respective classes. The brunette saw Yukina standing in front of the board without any obstacle.

Another vibrate.

Lisa took a peek on her LINE notification. Her eyes widened as she read an "I'm in 2-B" chat bubble. It was her who was so enthusiastic to leave early in order to check the announcement board. For the entire school holiday, she secretly wished that they could be in the same classroom.

Lisa didn't need to reply to the chat anymore. She was only a few steps from her childhood friend, anyway. Yukina seemed to recognize the sound of Lisa's footsteps, as she turned her head. Her friend pointed at a section titled 2-B. She looked indifferent as usual, but Lisa knew that she must be quite upset about the classroom's placement.

With Yukina being like that, Lisa couldn't wear a sad face. Instead, she poked Yukina's cheek and jokingly said, "Don't be lonely without me~"

"I'm not…" Yukina's pale cheeks reddened. "And it hurts, you know."

Lisa grinned. Kinda forgot that she wore artificial nails from her nail art treatment.

"Eeh, this pattern again?!"

"Are you going to be okay, Ran-chan?"

"Noooo~ Moca-chan should've offered more bread to Babanbo-sama…."

"...seriously, what God do you pray to?"

"St-stop it, you guys! I'm not a kid…."

A group of five first-year students gathered near Lisa and Yukina's spot. Two of them were Lisa's friends from different clubs: Tomoe Udagawa from the dance club and Himari Uehara from the tennis club. Lisa wanted to congratulate them on entering high school, but the current situation didn't look so good. The girl with highlighted hair, unfortunately, was separated from the rest of her friends.

Lisa gave her best friend's a careful look once more. Yukina seemed still unaffected by their class placement. While it wasn't their first time being in separate classes, she couldn't help but worry. Yukina wasn't very good at socializing, after all.

"Yukina…"

"I'm fine, Lisa," Yukina replied. She made eye contact with Lisa as she added, "Honest."

Lisa chuckled. She must've sounded like a mommy worrying over her little daughter.

The brunette then searched for her name on 2-A's section. "Imai… Imai…" said her as she was browsing the paper's surface with her index finger.

"There's it!"

Lisa's finger accidentally collided with someone's when she reached the surname that read "Hikawa".

"Oh, sorry!"

A girl with sparkly eyes came into Lisa's view. Although they never talked before, Lisa knew her. She was Hina Hikawa, the brightest student in Haneoka Girls' Academy. Last year, it was she who gave a speech representing the first years. Though, to tell the truth, Lisa didn't understand some of the genius's vocabulary. What were "boppin" and "zappin" meant, for instance?

"No prob! Welp, it's me who bumped into your finger," Hina said as she smiled widely. "Hey, hey, are you in 2-A, too?"

Lisa nodded. "You see… my name is below yours, Hikawa-san." She glanced at her own name on the board.

And it was the beginning of—Lisa would have to borrow this word from Hina—the boppin' days of 2-A.


	2. Clash of Personalities

**Chapter 2**

 **Clash of Personalities**

* * *

"It's boppidy packed!"

Hina Hikawa scoured her new classroom with ultra energy. Together with Lisa Imai, her new classmate she encountered at the announcement board, they were touring the room to greet their classmates.

"Hi there, Hikawa-san!"

"Nice to meetcha, Hina!"

"Let's be friends, Hikawa-san!"

To Hina's surprise, her new classmates already knew her, even before she had a chance to introduce herself. She had difficulty recalling their names in return, though. More importantly, have they even met before? Hina might possess a great memory, yet she tended to forget about people who she didn't meet on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Lisa appeared to be well-known among 2-A students too, as she blended naturally in the other girls' chats.

2-A was a typical Haneoka classroom that had 35 desks, separated into five rows. About two-thirds of the seats were already occupied. Hina and Lisa took the desks beside the window. Hina seated at the fifth one, Lisa behind her, while the last one apparently had been occupied by someone else (only a blazer was seen on its chair).

"Hey, Lisa-chi," said Hina as she rested her hands on Lisa's desk. "It's strange..."

Lisa put her school bag on the desk and asked, "What's wrong?"

"You and the others know each other from clubs and such, right?" asked Hina, which Lisa responded with a nod. "Welp, truth is, I'm confused when they called my name. Feels like I didn't know them before, so it feels strange..." She ended her sentence with a sigh. "Am I forgetting them, somehow?"

"That might be the case, but..." said Lisa, touching her own chin, eyes gazing upwards. "Umm..."

Hina did some thinking as well. Usually when she forgot her acquaintances' name, at least she remembered his or her face.

Lisa made eye contact with Hina again. "Or maybe it's because you're famous at the school! I mean, you're the top student in exams and last year you were the one gave the speech representing the first years," she explained. "To tell you the truth; I had known you already, even before we met today."

"Eeeh, is that so?" Hina wondered. So she was kinda famous. Who would've thought?

"Positive! No need to worry, Hika—"

"Bhooo!" Hina pouted. "Just Hina will do, Lisa-chi!"

"Okay, okay, Hina... Sorry, I thought you're the type to mind being called on the first-name basis by, you know, a friend you've just met? Ahaha," said Lisa, who seemed flustered for some reason.

"Really? I find it distant to call my friends with last names, be it new or old ones."

This talk made Hina think about her sister, Sayo. Her older twin was the opposite of her in this matter. Sayo rarely-or never?-addressed people outside of their families with first names.

"Hina-chan...!"

That voice and hug broke Hina's thought. She turned her gaze and saw a petite girl. "Where've you been, Chie-chan?"

"Hey, Lisa-chan! Classmates at last!" Chieko Nakahara greeted Lisa too, then turned to Hina again. "The track club had this morning meeting, you know..."

"On the first day of school? Zappin'~!"

On the contrary, Lisa was startled. "You girls are really pumped up, huh..."

Chieko shook her head. "Nah, we're not doing any practice. Just discussing plans to recruit new members," she explained. "By the way, who's your pick for class rep?"

"Who are the candidates?" Hina asked.

"I'm pretty sure Takahashi the 1-F's class rep is gonna nominate again."

"1-F..." Hina tried to recall anything related to that class. "Oh! The one that was so pew pew pew BOOM during the dodgeball matches?"

Lisa laughed. "Pew pew pew BOOM? Hina, you sure have an interesting choice of words!"

"But I haven't the slightest idea of the other candidates..." Chieko sighed. "Man, it's not exciting when there are no competi—oh! Lisa-chan, you should nominate too!"

Lisa's mouth widened. "...come again?"

"Wow, that's boppin'! We should vote for Lisa-chi!"

"Hold on-aah, let's talk about something else!" said Lisa. She paused for a moment before continued, "Umm... Speaking of competition, Kisaragi-san is here too, right?"

"There she is," said Chieko, pointed to a long-haired girl who sat in front of the teacher's desk and was currently reading a book.

"Kisaragi who?" asked Hina. The name didn't ring any bell and this Kisaragi wasn't there when she and Lisa toured the class.

"Sssh! Not so loud!" Chieko whispered.

"Hina," said Lisa in a low voice. "You seriously don't know Satomi Kisaragi? Her name's like-" her voice turned into a whisper, "-always below yours on the exam's scoreboard."

"Oh, no wonder that name sounds unfamiliar!" Hina gleefully said. "I never look at the scoreboard; that's why!"

"Ahaha..." Lisa giggled awkwardly. She tried to say something but immediately closed her lips again. She seemed at a loss for words.

Before any of the three realized, the topic of their conversation had stood beside their desks, making Lisa and Chieko startled.

"Greetings, Hikawa-san," said Satomi Kisaragi. But despite her words, she was staring at Hina sharply. Was she trying to challenge Hina at a staring contest? If that was the case...

Hina stared back at her. She didn't have the gift to wear an intimidating look, but she tried anyway. Imaginary intense background music from _Honest Trailers_ ' YouTube series was being played in her head; the one that was usually put whenever a 'staring moment' popped out.

Satomi, still in her staring mode, continued, "I heard that you never bother to check the scoreboard. Are you even serious about school?"

Of course, Hina was serious about her academic life. Though often arrived late, she never skipped school. As for the scoreboard, however...

"Are numbers that important?" Hina candidly asked.

"Y-you!" Satomi's face turned as red as a tomato. She then walked away while declaring, "I'm so going to beat your score at the midterms, you'll see!"

Hina gave her classmate a friendly wave in return. Though didn't understand Satomi's motive, an exam score competition sounded exciting for her.

"That's mean, Hina-chan!" Chieko teasingly said. "...gosh, you're always this frontal that it gives me goosebumps sometimes!"

"I... kinda regret bringing this topic up, ahaha," Lisa added. She smiled in guilt and continued, "I should say sorry to Kisaragi-san later."

"Huh? Did we say something wrong to her?"

Before either Lisa or Chieko was able to say anything, a young teacher in a tracksuit entered the classroom. The PE teacher named Hanako Kobayashi introduced herself as 2-A's homeroom teacher. After giving a short speech, a roll call plus self-introduction for every 2-A students were held. Before long, it came the moment for the class representative election. And as Chieko predicted before, Reina Takahashi from 1-F nominated herself.

Miss Kobayashi wrote Reina's name on the whiteboard. "Any other candidates?"

Hina and Chieko, who happened to seated diagonally, exchanged eye contact, then pointed at Lisa.

"W-wait! Wha—?!"

The other classmates began murmuring around.

"Ooh, Imai-san? She's great."

"Yeah. Lisa-chan's good at communication."

"Great choice, Hikawa-san!"

"Sensei, I'm nominating Lisa too!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

Long story short, the election finally began. Each student had to write the name of her favorable candidate on a piece of paper and put it in a box. The candidates? No other than Reina Takahashi and Lisa Imai. Hina, as the one who nominated Lisa, wrote her name, of course.

"It's a tie, girls..." announced Miss Kobayashi enthusiastically as she put one more vote for Lisa. She glanced at the only remaining folded paper, then took it. "This will determine the win-what?!"

"What's wrong, Sensei?" asked up one of the students.

Miss Kobayashi showed the last vote to the entire class. It was an A5-sized loose-leaf paper with neatly written Kanji characters on it. Hina could see some kind of flowers decorating the corners of each kanji.

"Whose vote is this?" asked the teacher.

"Why, that would be mine, Kobayashi-sensei," said a cool-sounding voice from behind.

Hina and everyone in 2-A turned their heads to the corner most desk beside the window. The seat's owner was a crimson eyed girl who wore her hair in a ponytail, Kaoru Seta.

"Please explain why did you write both Takahashi-san and Imai-san's name here," said the homeroom teacher. "One vote is for one candidate, Seta-san."

Kaoru dropped a heavy sigh. "It pains me greatly to choose only one because every little kitten in the world deserves to shine."

"Please be serious for a bit..." said Miss Kobayashi as she was trying to keep her ideal teacher's smile.

Kaoru rose from her seat. "But I am, my mother kitten," she replied while placing her palm on her chest to show resolve.

Hina was unable to hold her laughter. Her new classmates in 2-A surely were interesting people. And Kaoru Seta, so far, topped the list. Even the Haneoka prince's self-introduction from twenty minutes back was so boppin' in many ways.

"Kaoru-kun, mother kitten isn't a kitten anymore!" Hina corrected as she wiped away her tears.

"Oh, my bad. I mean, the mother cat," Kaoru gently stroked her own hair. She smiled at Hina and continued, "You have my gratitude, little kitten."

"No prob~" Hina replied, while on the other side of the classroom, there were some fangirls squealed, "Kaoru-sama!".

"...oh, Dear Lord." Miss Kobayashi's tired voice made Hina turned to the front of the class again. "It's not even an hour since we began this homeroom..." The PE teacher facepalmed and said, "Just make your decision, Seta-san. _Please._ "

"Can't we have two class rep—ouch!" Kaoru's question stopped midway as chalk hit her head. However, it didn't take much time until she regained her composure. "Please forgive my indecisiveness."

"...so, are you going to vote or not?"

"To be, or not to be—"

"Argh, fine!" cut Miss Kobayashi. Irritation was clearly visible on her face now. The young teacher reached for her tracksuit's pocket, to reveal a silver coin which seemed like a 500 yen. "We'll decide the winner with this, okay?" she declared. "Heads for Takahashi-san and tails for Imai-san."

"What a wise decision, my mo—"

"—it's you who forced me to do this, Seta-san!"

Kaoru chuckled guiltily, then sat back on her chair.

A coin-toss to determine the class representative? What an exciting turn of events, Hina thought. It was still the first day, yet she could already imagine that every day will be very boppin' here.

Miss Kobayashi summoned the class representative candidates and Kaoru to the teacher's desk to witness the fateful coin-tossing. The whole classroom went awfully silent for a few seconds, until...

"Congratulations, Takahashi-san," said the homeroom teacher after she moved her left palm from the back of her right hand. She turned to Lisa next. "Imai-san, help Takahashi-san out, okay?'

"Reina my queen and Lisa my prime minister... Ah, how fleeting!"

"Yeah, whatevs, Seta-san," Miss Kobayashi deadpanned. She then stepped away from the teacher's desk to give a chance for Reina and Lisa to speak.

"Hi, everyone! Lisa and I will be in your care!" Reina exclaimed. She adjusted her glasses' position and glanced at her deputy. "So... Lisa, where should we go after school for icebreaking?"

"Hold on; aren't you skipping a lot of stuff?" Lisa chuckled but decided to play along anyway. "Well, karaoke and diners never fail!"

A wave of 'YAY!' could be heard from 2-A girls, including Hina who liked karaoke.

"Great! We should stop by Lawson to buy some chopsticks, then," said the class representative.

Lisa asked, "Why do we need them?"

"To play king game, of course!" Reina blatantly informed.

The whole class was in an uproar. And Miss Kobayashi facepalmed, again.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

The example of a 'stare moment' can be seen in Honest Trailers - Twilight video, minute 1:00 to 1:28. Search for it on YouTube~

King game is an ice-breaking game that works like the truth or dare; except it only involves dare, dare, dare, and dare. The tasks usually get crazier the longer the game runs, that the players come home with shame and regret.


	3. The Troublemakers of 2-A

**Chapter 3**

 **The Troublemakers of 2-A**

* * *

"I wonder why Hanako-sensei called us," said Hina as she stepped out from the 2-A classroom. "Oh! Do you think she's gonna hand out treats?" she added gleefully.

"Mm, I don't think that's the case," Lisa replied. She glanced at her phone. "...Yup, definitely no treats," she said subtly and put the phone in her blazer's pocket.

"Our mother kitten just can't bear the thought of being separated with us," Kaoru said, though she was quite sure that their summoning meant bad news. Kaoru Seta, Lisa Imai, and Hina Hikawa were walking through the hallways of the third floor. This fine morning, their names were called over the school's PA system to report to the faculty room. All of them had absolutely no idea what was going on. Maybe, except Lisa who seemed uneasy since she invited Kaoru and Hina to go there together.

"Mm, where are your rabbits, Lisa-chi?" asked Hina. She pointed at one of her own ears.

Although the trio had only become friends for one day, it felt kind of odd to see Lisa without her pink upside-down rabbit earrings. As a matter of fact, she was one of a few students who dared to use accessories in the school premises. Kaoru had noticed its disappearance since Lisa was back from who knows where but decided not to pry.

Lisa touched her pierced earlobe. "Oh, this? I prefer to avoid disciplinarily violations today." She later sighed and said, "If only Reina were here, ahaha..." The brunette gave a small laugh, yet it was apparent that she was troubled. Today she was a vice class representative without her head, after all.

"Lisa, my princess," Kaoru gently said. As Lisa turned her face, she continued, "If our mother kitten decides to scold you, I'm going to protecc—" Her throat suddenly felt ticklish and she let out a sneeze in the opposite direction. No one was there, fortunately.

Her classmates laughed. Hina was the loudest.

"Kaoru-kun, you boppidy fail!" exclaimed Hina between her laughs.

Kaoru rubbed her nose. "I'm sorry. That was unsightly of me."

"You know," Lisa said. "If it weren't for your sneeze, my heart would've been pounding right now."

"May I say it once—"

Another sneeze.

"Kaoru, you okay?" asked Lisa. She paused for a while, then continued, "...You're catching a cold because of yesterday, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I kinda saw you in the courtyard," Lisa began her explanation. "You only wear a shirt on that breezy morning. No wonder you catch a cold now."

Kaoru recalled that she put her blazer away to secure her current seat in their class. And to tell the truth, she had been feeling unwell since yesterday evening. The crimson eyed girl thought she would get better after a night rest, but her condition worsened instead. Kaoru woke up with a mild headache. Her throat was sore too.

"You were watching me the whole time?" Kaoru gasped. "I'm flattered," she said.

Hina let out another gasp. "Li-Lisa-chi, you're stalking Kaoru-kun?" she asked. Rather than astonishment, her face and tone were more like expressing tease instead.

"Whoa, I'm a stalker now?" Lisa startled. "No, no, no! Please don't put it that way!"

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

Before long, the 2-A trio reached their destination. The faculty room was a large open space, with the exception of the principal who had her private room. There were around twenty desks, neatly organized into several rows. Although the first period had yet to begin, most of the desks were already unoccupied.

"Where's Takahashi-san?" asked Miss Kobayashi. "Thought I called her too."

Their homeroom teacher was chilling at her seat. She hadn't even changed into her usual tracksuit yet. Her desk wasn't as dense as other teachers' which were full of textbooks and stacks of paper. She did line up three textbooks which titles seemed sport-related, but the rest were mostly novels and there was even a Weekly Shonen JUMP magazine. Not surprising due to the fact that PE classes' theory portion only took up ten to twenty percent.

"The class rep's having a hang—oww!" Hina's sentence stopped midway as Lisa pinched her arm.

"Pardon?" Miss Kobayashi raised her eyebrows.

Hangover, if Kaoru might add. Their class representative was a victim of order misplacement. There was a certain beverage in the menu named sangria, which she ordered because the drink looked cute with its red color and various fruit cuts. It had both an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic variant. Long story short, an employee of the karaoke place gave the wrong one and the girl got drunk. The manager of the place later apologized and gave compensation of a one-year karaoke voucher to the victim.

"What Hina meant was..." said Lisa. "Reina doesn't feel so good today, so she's not coming to school. Ye-yes, that's the case."

"Still no email from her, though," Miss Kobayashi muttered. "Oh well, let's get to business, shall we? How's your ice-breaking session yesterday?"

"Everything went perfectly fine~" Lisa answered. Her nervousness didn't match her statement, though. "...I think."

"Went perfectly fine, huh..." She massaged her temple. "And how are you going to explain about Seta-san's video and Hikawa-san's photo?"

"My video?" Kaoru pointed at herself. She then placed her thumb and index finger on her chin and began to think. Since her arrival at school, people had been talking about a certain video of hers. They expressed how hot Kaoru's voice was. Some of them requested her to repeat what she said in the video. Their faces went as red as a beetroot, then they fainted. She might be used to her fans' antics, but their gesture this morning was quite... Bewildering.

Lisa went pale. "We're so dead, yay~" was written all over her face. Contradically, Hina seemed gleeful as usual. Kaoru? Still confused. And her headache struck again. It wasn't that painful but still bugged her anyway.

"Please enlighten me. What video and photo are we talking about?"

"Yesterday's king game..." Lisa answered.

Kaoru recalled their ice-breaking session. Thirty-five high school girls from class 2-A went to a karaoke place on the nearby shopping street. They spent half of their time karaoke-ing and the remaining half playing king game (or in their case, queen game). The orders given by the queens weren't that ridiculous, according to Kaoru. And her deed yesterday was...

"Look! It has reached more than 120k views!" Hina exclaimed and showed a tweet on her phone. She grinned and added, "And don't forget to follow me back, Kaoru-kun~"

The tweet was posted by Hina Hikawa BoppinPotato at 6:21 PM, shortly after yesterday's ice-breaking session ended. Kaoru's eyes widened as she saw the video's impression; it had gained 124k views, 8.6k retweets, and 19.4k likes.

"How fleeting! Hundreds of thousands of people have seen my passionate performance!"

No wonder Kaoru's phone was flooded with notifications since yesterday evening. Hina also mentioned her account in the tweet; that's why. There were massive follows, retweets, likes, even DMs; but Kaoru hadn't opened any of it because she went straight to bed after eating dinner.

"Yeah, thousands of people watch a student in our school's uniform—" Miss Kobayashi said with a flat tone. "—reading erotic novel passages with a voice that sounds so natural like it came out straight from a porn video."

Hina turned her head to Kaoru. "Hey, Hanako-sensei encourages you to become a porn actress!"

"Aah, so fleeting!"

"I never said that!" the PE teacher corrected. She sighed and continued, "...And Hikawa-san, what's with your inappropriate photo? Your underwear was exposed, you know?"

"Eh? Thought it was boppin~" Hina pouted. "Superheroes are whooshing around with their panties on the outside, right?"

The PE teacher buried her face in her hands with embarrassment. "You're not supposed to pole dance with your bra and panties over your school uniform...!"

"It was the queen's order, tho?" said Hina.

"Precisely, mother kitten. Queen's mandate is absolute," Kaoru added. She placed a palm at her chest to dramatize the statement. "Mere retainers like Hina and I are in no power to oppose our sovereign..."

"Guys..." Lisa whispered. "I think we're in no position to defend ourselves."

"Do you girls realize that our school's reputation will be tarnished by this viral video and photo?"

Kaoru and Hina exchanged a look. Neither girl said another word.

Miss Kobayashi lowered her gaze with a miserable look on her face. "Oh God, what have I done to deserve this problematic class..." she muttered to herself. "Is my past life karma at work here?"

Lisa bowed to her homeroom teacher. "I'm sorry! I should have supervised my classmates yesterday," she said. "I... I'm willing to take any punishment!"

"No, it is I who should be blamed. I'm the one who performed the deed," Kaoru interjected. "Please leave Lisa out from this matter, Sensei."

"Lisa-chi, Kaoru-kun!" Hina gasped. "You... You two are innocent! I'm at the most fault for making it viral!"

"You guys..." said Lisa.

"My, what do we have here?"

The four turned their heads, to see a woman in a suit holding a teacup with its saucer. She was the principal of the Haneoka high school division. Unlike Miss Kobayashi who currently was in a glum mood, the middle-aged lady was smiling gently.

"Why are you arguing? Something happened?"

"Go-good morning, Principal Nishimura!" greeted Lisa as she straightened her body. "Uh, well... How should I put it..." The girl was so nervous that she didn't dare to make eye contact with the principal.


	4. Sisters in Arms

**Chapter 4**

 **Sisters in Arms**

* * *

The talk switched places to the principal's office. The room was quite spacious, with a set of tea tables at the corner as well as shelves containing trophies from various school clubs in Haneoka. Principal Nishimura sat behind a mahogany desk and Miss Kobayashi stood beside the luxurious furniture. 2-A trio, meanwhile, were lined up like criminal suspects across the police officers.

Kaoru never set foot in this room before. For a student to be summoned here only meant three things: you're a vital member of the student council, you had won a competition representing the school, or you've just committed a serious violation. Sadly, their current position only fitted to the latter group.

This had become unnerving. Kaoru repeatedly told herself to relax. Today was a good day; same as always. She repeated her words of encouragement so many times that it eventually sounded like a mantra.

Miss Kobayashi explained what happened at yesterday's ice-breaking session and how Hina posted its inappropriate queen game's orders on Twitter. The principal listened in silence while she sipped her tea.

Principal Nishimura put her teacup on its saucer. "Actually, I've already seen the tweets. It has been causing quite a stir among netizens, huh..." she said and averted her gaze at Hina. "Say, Hikawa-san, what occurred in your mind when you decided to post the photo and video?"

"Mm, I thought yesterday's event was fun. Everyone showed their interesting side when we played the queen game," Hina began her explanation. "Twitter is like my diary, so I posted stuff there; including the queen game." She appeared to be relaxed, although her eyes weren't as sparkly as usual. "But I never thought that the tweets about Kaoru-kun and me are bad for our school's name..." she admitted.

The principal nodded, then turned to Kaoru. "And how about you, Seta-san?"

"...If I may be honest, Hina and I share the same thought."

"Thus, making you agree to carry out the order?"

Kaoru nodded.

"Imai-san, since when did you aware of the distribution of Seta-san's video and Hikawa-san's photo?"

"I just saw it this morning..." Lisa answered. Her voice was so low that it almost sounded like a whisper. "I should've checked my Twitter last night and asked Hina to take it down before it became that viral."

"Normally you would check on your social media, but for some reason you didn't," Principal Nishimura concluded.

"Yes," said Lisa. Her face reddened. "The aojiru I drank during the queen game made me feel nauseous all night."

Lisa was among the retainers who faced the queen's mandate. She was told to drink aojiru, a juice made from young barley leaves, that tasted awful. Lisa later admitted that she even hated its sibling (green smoothies); making it even more loathsome.

"Say, what do the three of you know about Haneoka's image?"

Hina placed her index finger at her chin. "Boppin' uniforms?"

"One of the elite prep schools in Tokyo," said Kaoru.

Lisa added, "Lots of our school's alumni made it to National Seven Universities."

Kaoru's friends often talk about National Seven Universities, the most prestigious institutions in Japan. To be accepted at one of the seven was like securing the future since multinational companies tend to hire people who graduated from big names like that. Kaoru's parents never told her to become a salaryman, but maybe they had that thought in mind.

"Precisely," said the older lady as she steepled her hands. "And what will people think when they see students from that prestigious Haneoka act like porn actresses?"

Neither Kaoru, Lisa, nor Hina was brave enough to reply.

The principal's face turned stern. "...We should suspend them for a week or two." She glanced at the 2-A homeroom teacher.

The 2-A girls gasped in unison and looked at each other. Even Hina had a terrified look on her face now. Lisa? As white as tofu. Kaoru didn't know what kind of face she was making, but she must look miserable now.

"Suspend? But that's too—"

"Kobayashi-sensei, please inform their parents later," the principal interjected Miss Kobayashi's sentence.

"N-no..." Hina said weakly. "Mom, dad, and onee-chan would kill me..."

Lisa, who was standing between Kaoru and Hina, trembled. Her "we're so dead, yay~" face had changed into a simple "we're dead".

Never before had Kaoru faced this kind of situation. In her sixteen years one month of life, she had always been a good child who made her parents proud. To be struck by a suspension... She could imagine her mother cried her heart out and fainted.

That premonition wasn't fleeting.

"That is—" Principal Nishimura smiled. "—if you were students from a decade back."

"...Eh?"

"P-principal Nishimura, what do you mean by that?" asked Miss Kobayashi. She seemed as confused as Kaoru and friends.

"Oh, you don't need to call their parents, Kobayashi-sensei," the principal replied. "I just want to see the terrified look they would make."

Principal Nishimura's smile reminded Kaoru of her childhood friend Chisato, somehow. Calm and relaxed, yet deadly. What a fleeting persona.

"Well, if you say so..." said Miss Kobayashi.

"Instead, I should thank Hikawa-san for promoting our school throughout the country."

The principal's tone wasn't sarcastic and her smile was genuine. That was surprising. Kaoru thought she would be furious. What was happening here?

"You're welcome... I guess?" said Hina as she scratched the back of her head. "But to be honest, I don't understand about me promoting our school."

"Ah, yes. You've shown people that the students of our so-called-elite school are having fun," the principal explained. "Furthermore, you were indirectly promoting the drama club through that splendid video of—ahem—erotic monologue."

"Our school already has that fun vibe, tho?" said Hina.

Miss Kobayashi shrugged. "It's nowhere near that if we talk about a decade back."

"What happened?" Lisa asked curiously.

"Something so fleeting that our child selves were unaware of, I reckon?"

Some ten years ago Kaoru was still enjoying her elementary marching band activities, playing with her friends at parks around the neighborhood, or watching kids' TV shows. She was too little to know stuff like a certain elite school's real-life dramas.

"The thing is, we have been trying to make Haneoka as a serious yet fun prep school."

Principal Nishimura deliberately avoided the subject, which seemed kind of suspicious. And pressing at their teachers' previous statement wouldn't do any good. They've just escaped suspension, after all.

"As your principal, I have no problem with the tweets," the headteacher said. "But as your elder, I would advise you to be careful about publishing things on social media. The netizens could be... Quite nasty, you know?" she added. "Although, for Seta-san's video and Hikawa-san's photo, I find that the comments are mostly positive. Lady luck is on your side this time, but I couldn't say the same next time."

"They understand that Seta-san and Hikawa-san were merely following orders from a king game, huh?" said Miss Kobayashi. "I was too shocked to scroll down the comments..."

Principal Nishimura chuckled. "Your panicky side never changes, Hana—" she immediately corrected, "—I mean, Kobayashi-sensei."

It seemed like Miss Kobayashi and Principal Nishimura were close, judging by the first-name basis. During one of last year's PE periods, Miss Kobayashi mentioned that she was a Haneoka alumna. The homeroom teacher might be Principal Nishimura's favorite student or something along the lines.

"That's all from me. Thank you for your time; Imai-san, Hikawa-san, and Seta-san."

The 2-A girls bowed and expressed their gratitude.

Principal Nishimura took her cup of tea and glanced at the homeroom teacher of class 2-A. "Oh, you may give them separate scolding, even a light punishment. You're their homeroom teacher, after all."

It turned out they wouldn't be able to escape without a scratch.

Miss Kobayashi crossed her hands and went silent for a few seconds, while the principal sipped her tea in peace.

"Okay then, you girls are going to stand beside the field while carrying buckets of water."

Lisa glanced at Kaoru, then back at the PE teacher. "But Kaoru has shown symptoms—"

Kaoru patted Lisa's shoulder; making the vice class representative stop her sentence. The ponytailed girl placed her index finger at her own lips as she smiled and winked at Lisa.

Lisa was puzzled at first, but her expression immediately turned into a teasing smile. "Don't blame me if you faint or something, okay?" she whispered.

"And making you carry me around to the nurse's room?" Kaoru whispered back. "Not a chance, my princess. It is a prince's duty to carry people."


	5. The Stubborn Prince

**Chapter 5**

 **The Stubborn Prince**

The 2-A trio didn't need to wait long to receive their punishment. As soon as they left the principal's office, they returned to their classroom to grab their PE uniforms, then went straight to a changing room. Though for the girls, their activity was ninety percent talk and ten percent getting changed.

Lisa was reminded of something as she untied her striped necktie. Back then Hina muttered about her being killed (figuratively) by her sister if she were suspended from school.

"So you have a sister, Hina?"

"Yup! Onee-chan is eight minutes older than me!"

"Wow, twins at that!" said Lisa. "You guys did matching clothes as kids?"

"We used to switch places all the time." Hina smiled as she was reminiscing, then it turned into a smug. "Even mom and dad were fooled back then~" Her green eyes went glittery as she carried on. "And, and… Onee-chan is the coolest person in the world! She's very zappin' with her guitar and she joins a band too!"

Lisa giggled. Hina reminded her of Ako and Tomoe, her juniors at the dance club. How the younger sister admired her older sister; a bond that Lisa never had.

Hina spun her blue track jacket lightly. "How about you, Lisa-chi? Do you have any siblings?"

Lisa shook her head and sighed. "Being an only child gets lonely sometimes..." she said. "Mom and dad are there, but I can't talk about the latest trends or hang out with them. There's this generation gap thingy, you see..."

"Welp, it's not like Onee-chan and I talk often these days," Hina replied. She still wore her smile, though not as bright as before.

"Do you guys have a fight?" was what Lisa would've asked, but decided not to. It was impolite for her to pry into Hina's private matter since they only became friends just recently. She'd better switch the topic.

"Kaoru, you've been awfully quiet––"

"Eh, she's sleeping…" said Hina as she approached the Haneoka prince.

Kaoru was fast asleep while sitting on a bench. She leaned her back to the wall behind. Unlike Lisa and Hina who took forever to change, the purple-haired girl had worn her tracksuit. She also donned two extra accessories that didn't quite fit in: a medical mask along with a scarf.

"Now I'm afraid she's going to collapse for real during our punishment, ahaha…"

"If that happens, we'll just carry Kaoru-kun to the nurse's room together!"

Kaoru won't be pleased with that situation due to her princely-idealism-thing, but it'll be very mean to leave her laying on the ground.

"Let's leave her be for a few more minutes," Lisa suggested. "I forgot to bring something, by the way. Wanna tag along to the class?"

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

"Say... Seta-san, why do you look _like_ that?"

...was what Miss Kobayashi uttered when she saw Kaoru. The PE teacher made no attempt to hide her confusion, with her eyebrows raised like that. The school prince's fans from 2-B were also expressing their concern.

"Please get back to your warming up, girls. You may want to avoid sprained legs," said Miss Kobayashi to the neighboring class' students. As the girls were walking away, she turned back to Kaoru. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Not in the slightest, my mother kitten," Kaoru replied as she stroked her purple forelock. "The little kittens need to focus solely on your PE lesson." She coughed a little bit before carrying on. "It would be unfortunate for you if their attention were shifted due to the presence of yours truly."

"Oh, you remind me of idols! They wear masks in public to hide their sparkle sparkly presence~" said Hina.

"...Right." Miss Kobayashi deadpanned.

"In Kaoru's case, the outcome is the opposite, though." Lisa giggled. "You're more stand out than ever right now."

"Now I regret worrying over you." Miss Kobayashi sighed, then pointed at six buckets of water in front of the 2-A trio. "Just carry that and watch 2-B's lesson, capiche?"

"Aye aye, Ma'am!" Hina gave the homeroom teacher a salute.

And thus, the punishment began. Each of the 2-A girls carried two buckets of water. Although being disciplined right now, the three chatted casually just like friends who were hanging out at a cafe.

"Yeah, we've been together since we were kids," Lisa said.

"Mmm…" Hina touched her chin. "If you've spent so many years together, doesn't it make you guys like sisters?"

"Come to think of it; I guess so? Her parents are kinda like my second mom and dad too," Lisa replied. She giggled and added, "Looks like I'm not an only child, after all..."

"Yup, yup!" Hina nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of her, she's looking this way~"

Yukina was among the students of 2-B. The silver-haired girl gave Lisa a frown and took a step forward, but immediately turned around as she got called by Miss Kobayashi.

"Yukina the lone-wolf songstress, huh…" Kaoru said. "I'd like to––" she coughed. "––perform musicals with her."

"Wow, that's going to be interesting!" Lisa commented.

Kaoru let out another cough, which made Lisa became more worried. She let go of the buckets, picked a scarf from her track jacket's pocket, then put it around Kaoru's neck. "Wha––" the taller girl protested, but Hina immediately followed Lisa's action (her version of knot looked like a headscarf, though).

"Why the extra scarves?" Kaoru asked confusedly. "You should wear it for yourself. It's unfleeting if my little kittens were catching a cold too."

"Catching a cold _too_ , mm?" Hina gave a smug smile. "Admitting that you have a cold, now?"

"Huh?" Kaoru startled. "Y-you must be hearing things, Hina. I never said that word."

"I heard that too, you know," said Lisa.

Kaoru averted her gaze to the skies. "What fine weather we have!" she talked to herself (as well as animals) when a flock of birds was passing by. "Oh, what do we have here? Pleased to meet you, little birds!"

"It's kinda sad to see her desperately hiding her cold," Lisa whispered at Hina. The topic of the conversation, meanwhile, was still busily communicating with animals.

"I wonder why Kaoru-kun does that," Hina whispered back.

Kaoru removed Lisa and Hina's scarves. "I appreciate your gesture, but... I'm okay, really," she said as she handed the fabrics back to its owners. "Here, put these on."

Hina didn't welcome the return. Instead, she pouted. "No can do, Kaoru-kun! We're gonna catch a cold for real if we wear _that_ now."

Although half of Kaoru's face was covered with a medical mask, Lisa somehow could see the puzzled look on her face.

"You heard the girl," Lisa agreed. "Our scarves are already contaminated. You have no choice but to wear those~"

Kaoru chuckled. "How crafty of you," she said. "Alright then, I'll make use of the scarves," said the girl then as she wore the fabrics back.

The three lifted their buckets again. The sound of Kaoru's cough filled the air a few times.

"By the way, these buckets felt heavier the longer we carry them..."

"Do you need a hand, princess?"

"Thanks, but Kobayashi-sensei will scold me if I don't carry it," Lisa replied. "Besides, your hands are full, right?"

Kaoru put her buckets to the ground. "Not if I spread my hands," she claimed as she did a T-pose. "Come, hang the buckets!"

"Hold that pose, Kaoru-kun!" exclaimed Hina. She took out a phone from her track jacket pocket. "Imma capture it and make some memes!"

"A meme about how my pose reminds you of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio?" asked Kaoru. "Ah, how fleeting!"

"I'm quite certain it's not what crosses in her mind," Lisa commented.

"Lisa?"

"Oh! Hey, Yukina!"

Lisa waved at her friend who walked toward her. Yukina wore a standard second-year students' PE attire which consisted of a white t-shirt and a pair of blue track pants. Her long hair was put into a ponytail.

"What brings you here?"

"Greetings, my princess!"

"It's me who should ask that question," Yukina ignored Kaoru. She gave Lisa a concerned look.

Lisa replied, "We are punished by Kobayashi-sensei. No biggie, though."

"Is that so…" Yukina muttered. She then said, "I should return to the field. Talk to you later, Lisa," and walked away.

"Wait!" Kaoru exclaimed; making Yukina stopped and turned around. Kaoru approached the songstress and kneel before her. "My princess, I believe we are bound to meet by the strings of fate. Would you like to perform in a musical with me?"

"No," Yukina coldly replied. "Who are you, anyway?"

Hina laughed at the theater club star, while Lisa could hear an imaginary sound of Kaoru's heart broken into pieces.

Kaoru faked a cough. "M-my, how foolish of me. Of course, you're unable to recognize yours truly with this mask on." She took off her medical mask and tried to ask Yukina once more. "It is I, Kaoru Seta of the theater club. Pleased to meet you, my princess."

Yukina shrugged and wore a flat "oh, it's you" face. "Still no. Sorry."

And off she went; leaving Kaoru who was still in her princely-kneel mode.

Lisa tapped Kaoru's shoulder. "Please don't take it to heart. She meant no harm."

"Playing hard to get, hmm?" Kaoru smiled. "She sure is a shy little kitten."

"Ahaha…" Lisa chuckled. Should she tell her that Yukina was simply not interested to perform in musicals?

"Poor Kaoru-kun!" exclaimed Hina as she hugged Kaoru from behind. "Lemme comfort your broken heart!"

"I thank you, my little kitten."

"...Hey, you're hot, Kaoru-kun."

"Plenty of little kittens told me so. It is a sin to be such a fleetingly beautiful creature."

"Nope, I mean the feverish kind of hot."


	6. Visiting the Fallen Princess

**Chapter 6**

 **Visiting the Fallen Princess**

It was Wednesday, two days before the theater club's first performance in this brand new school year. Its leading actress had recovered from her cold. Yet, as if the Gods were asking for a sacrificial lamb, another had fallen in return.

Yes, in this fine morning it was Lisa who had to be absent. Yesterday it was the class representative (though alcoholic beverage was the one at fault here), then followed by Kaoru herself who had to go home early due to the cold. For the class of 2-A to go on with an incomplete cast, two days in a row…

What a tragedy it was.

Kaoru rested her chin on her left hand and gazed at the courtyard. Being seated beside the window gave her ease to observe the activities down there. The open area was quite lively with dozens of girls in their school uniforms as well as jerseys. They belonged to various clubs―both cultural and sports―in their effort of recruiting new members, especially first-years.

She spotted a certain teal-haired girl arriving at the school gate. As the second-year student walked through the courtyard, she was approached by various school club members. They intended to recruit her, Kaoru guessed, yet the girl gave them an apologetic gesture, then went inside the school building. It was a mystery why Hina Hikawa chose to remain at the astronomy club instead of joining a more lively one.

Speaking of the devil, Hina entered the classroom a few minutes later. The top student walked to her desk and greeted all of her classmates along the way. She put her bag, two desks in front of Kaoru's, and gleefully exclaimed, "Morning, Kaoru-kun!"

Kaoru smiled and replied to Hina's greeting.

The seat between Kaoru and Hina was unoccupied. She chose the rear seat beside the window because she wanted some privacy, away from her fans. But when the seat before her was empty, she felt kind of blue now.

"That seems lonely," Hina commented while she put out her phone and snack from the school bag. "Guess I should sit at Lisa-chi's desk today~"

"M-my, do I seem that sorrowful?"

Hina shook her head. "Not really. Just a hunch!"

Kaoru let out a sigh. "Lisa doesn't have to undergo this pain if only I didn't fall ill that day…"

Hina giggled. "You make it seem like she's contracted an incurable disease."

"Are you feeling well, Hina?" asked Kaoru. She averted her gaze and continued her sentence in a lower voice, almost like a whisper. "It would be even more tragic if you were infected too..."

"I feel boppin' as usual! No worries, no worries!" Hina offered a snack to Kaoru. It was a box of Chocobi with its pinky crocodile mascot and Crayon Shin-chan printed on it. "Want some?"

"Thanks." Kaoru took some star-shaped biscuits from its hexagonal box. "Mm, people say geniuses don't catch colds…"

"I thought it's supposed to be the fools?"

Kaoru gasped. "W-well. In other words…" the crimson-eyed girl said in an effort to regain her composure. "That's how it is."

Hina giggled. "You're an interesting person, Kaoru-kun!" The girl then munched at her snack.

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

Kaoru matched the pinpoint on her map application and with a house before her. It was a two-story building with minimalistic architecture, painted in the color of lavender.

"This fleeting-looking residence must be Lisa's abode."

Hina who walked a few steps ahead spotted a nameplate that belonged to the said house. "Bzzzt...!" She imitated the sound of a buzzer. "It's Yukina-chan's."

Kaoru eventually visited Lisa due to her ever-growing guilt. She even volunteered to bring printouts of today's lessons for the fallen princess. Call her exaggerating, but she just couldn't bear to see other people's misfortune.

Hina, who claimed she had nothing boppin' to do before her band practice, decided to tag along. Kaoru recalled that during the last few weeks of their first year, Hina was seen asking everyone in the school whether they were in a band and needed a guitarist. Kaoru was among the people Hina asked, but she couldn't help her because she wasn't a part of any band. So when Kaoru heard the news about Hina finally joining a band―the teal-haired girl even carrying a guitar gig bag around right now―she was relieved.

"Yukina? Why would her house be here?"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. She approached Hina and read the nameplate. The name inscribed on its marble surface was 'Minato' in both kanji and Roman alphabet form.

"This should be the one!" Hina pointed at another nameplate, right next to Yukina's house. The limestone slab had the kanji for 'Imai' exquisitely engraved on it.

"Oh, now I remember…" Kaoru said. "Lisa did mention about her being neighbors with Yukina."

Imai residence also had a minimalistic architecture and consisted of two stories. It had a brighter color accent than the neighboring Minato; cream-colored walls covered by bricks at some parts. Illumination of the late afternoon sun furtherly emphasized the warm atmosphere of the building. And now that they had arrived at the right house, it was time to ring the bell.

"Lisa-chi! Hey, Lisa-chiiiii…! It's Hina and Kaoru!"

...or not.

Kaoru chuckled and refrained from pressing the doorbell. Hina Hikawa, the brightest student in the school sure was a lively fellow.

The door on the second floor slid open and Lisa made her appearance. The girl was in her pajamas and she let her wavy hair loose. She greeted Kaoru and Hina from the balcony. Her demeanor was lively as usual, so it put Kaoru at ease. The brunette went out of sight for a little while, then opened the front door.

Kaoru took back her words. Upon closer look, Lisa didn't seem that fine. Her face was beet red and she looked obviously tired.

"Make yourselves at home~" Lisa provided two pairs of home slippers for her guests. "But, man… You guys don't need to go all the way here, ahaha."

The house was quiet. There was no sign of anyone aside from the three of them.

"Your mother doesn't seem to be present." Kaoru guessed as she put her loafers aside and changed it into home slippers.

"My mom has been away visiting relatives since yesterday."

Kaoru gasped. "H-how grieving! To be all alone, tending for yourself during this time of distress…!"

"You're making it as if mom left me forever!" Lisa laughed. "It's not that sad, really… Yukina's mom tended for me this morning before leaving for work, and Yukina also stopped by just a while ago."

"Oh, it seems fate doesn't allow me to meet the lone-wolf songstress. What an unfortunate circumstance..."

"Looks like someone's want to re-propose Yukina-chan," said Hina, wearing a teasing smile.

"Why of course." Kaoru chuckled while stroking her strands of purple hair. "The lone-wolf songstress might have declined my offer yesterday, but giving up is not in the lexicon of yours truly." She waved her hand and declared, "I still have two whole years to persuade her; for Confucius once said, 'It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop'!"

Hina clapped. "You're so interesting, Kaoru-kun! Gimme another boppin' quote!"

Kaoru rubbed her chin. "Of course, the dearest quotes in my heart came from the great bard…"

"Who?"

Hina raised an eyebrow. Kaoru, at the same time, dramatically placed her hand on the chest.

"There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so."

"So, it's Shakespeare!" Hina's eyes went sparkling in excitement.

"We are time's subjects, and time bids are gone." Kaoru folded her arms across her chest, forming the letter 'x'. "Aaah, the epitome of fleetingness!"

Hina asked for more, but Lisa suggested her friends continue it in the living room.

"Wait, let Dr. Hikawa check your temperature~" Hina suddenly touched Lisa's forehead; making the other party startled. "Huh, you're warmer than Kaoru yesterday."

"That's horrifying!" Kaoru exclaimed in panic. She accessed the contacts on her phone. "Let me call a doctor for you!"

"Stop, stop, stop…!"

Kaoru and Hina turned their heads to the owner of the house.

"Phew, now I'm more tired than ever…" Lisa facepalmed.

"Sorry, Lisa-chi.…"

"That was unsightly of me. Please forgive the commotion I caused."

"N-no! I'm the one who should say sorry for shouting like that." Lisa shook her head and smiled. "I'm fine, really! No need for any doctor~"

Kaoru sighed. "Though doctors exist to cure people..."

"...Kaoru, what did I say just before?" Lisa said. She was smiling, but Kaoru could sense a hint of anger.

Kaoru's body tensed. "Understood, my mother kitten."

Hina laughed. "Lisa-chi is just like moms, eh?"

"Hmph…! Not you too, Hina~"

Kaoru then suggested Lisa rest and let them care for her. The patient didn't raise a protest like before and invited them to her room while jokingly saying, "Don't blame me if you guys are infected later, okay?"

Kaoru and Hina were walking behind Lisa. The two quietly whispering around.

"Maybe we should make her something," Kaoru said. "She seems in low energy,"

"But I'm a terrible cook, you know~" Hina replied.

"Fret not, little kitten. I'm quite confident with my cooking," Kaoru said reassuringly. "How about this: I tend for Lisa while you buy the ingredients." Although her friend admitted that she wasn't a good cook, Hina should be able to pick for decent ingredients.

Hina raised her thumbs.

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

It didn't take long for Lisa to sleep soundly on her bed. Kaoru closed the bedroom door quietly and talked with Hina in the hallway; discussing the plan to cook something for the brunette.

"Okey dokey! Imma back really soon; twenty minutes tops!"

Kaoru opened her wallet and took out a 10,000 yen banknote. "I'll pay for the ingredients." She smiled wryly. "It's my fault that Lisa catches―"

"―your allowance is 10,000 yen, huh…."

"Mm?" Kaoru muttered. "My, of course, it's not that few." The school prince chuckled. "I have roughly a dozen of the same denomination in my wallet."

Hina wore a dumbfounded face as she received the money. The top student then raised her voice and pouted. "What kind of high school student receives hundreds of thousands of yen for her allowance?!" She showed Kaoru a nickel silver coin and continued, "You… You crazy rich Japanese! Trade your 10,000 with my 500!"

So there Hina went with her mysterious outburst. And she didn't actually give Kaoru her 500 yen coin.

Now it was Kaoru who was left dumbfounded. What did Hina mean by crazy rich? Whenever Kaoru met her dear grandfather, she would receive at least 1,000,000 yen.

Oh, how other people confused her sometimes...


	7. Best Errand Girl (Self-Proclaimed)

**Chapter 7**

 **Best Errand Girl (Self-Proclaimed)**

Hina hummed the melody of "Shuwarin Drea~min", the first single of her band, as she was walking through the school's hallway. The girl carried a guitar gig bag on her back. She was going to attend a music lesson for her band in a few hours; a new routine that she had gone through for a week.

Along the way, Hina exchanged greetings to fellow students of Haneoka Girls' High School; both friends and people that she didn't know. The latter made her confused in the past, but she had gotten used to it now. Being known by strangers might be the effect of her status as a top student. Not that she was bothered; they were interestingly random sometimes. During last winter's university exam season, an upperclassman asked her to shake hands in the hope to receive some of Hina's intelligence.

Hina could hear a familiar voice coming from the faculty room.

"Oh, little kitten in distress! Allow yours truly to represent you in the venture to the fallen princess' castle!"

That deep voice and manner of speaking only belonged to one person. It came from the faculty room. Whatever Kaoru Seta was doing there? Did she gets caught in another trouble?

Hina peeked inside. The room was full of teachers who were either relaxing around after long lectures, surrounded by students who asked for elaborate explanations for today's covered subject, or chit-chatting around between faculty members. She could spot Kaoru easily due to her height. The school prince along with the class representative stood before their homeroom teacher's desk. Hina was curious about this princess in a castle affair, but before she could take a step inside, Kaoru had finished talking and walked away.

"Fancy meeting you, little kitten." Kaoru smiled and waved her hand. "Are you, perhaps, enchanted at my humble self this whole time?"

"I just got here for like five seconds, you know~"

"Is that so?" Kaoru touched her chin and chuckled. "The flow of time works in a rather mysterious way, isn't it?"

"What's the fallen princess' castle you were talking about, anyway?"

"Oh, we were conversing about a visit to Lisa's house. The poor princess…" Kaoru replied. She glanced at the homeroom teacher and class representative who were still talking about something. "Reina was supposed to set off for the castle. But, alas, her good intention must be thwarted by the Milky Way."

"I don't understand what you mean by the Milky Way, but whatevs~" Hina grinned. "In other words, you volunteered to go because Reina-chan couldn't."

"Why, of course."

Kaoru showed a bundle of paper that contained easy peasy algebra. Hina recalled that their class studied this formula today and they would have a quiz tomorrow. Studying was a serious business in Haneoka, so skipping school even for just a day would be disadvantageous for some people. The case couldn't be applied to Hina, though.

"Hey, can I tag along?"

Hina didn't have anything to do before band practice, anyway.

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

About an hour later Hina found herself in a relatively busy shopping street. Dozens of shops lined up within the span of the half-a-kilometer street. It only took a few minutes to walk from the residential areas. The shopkeepers greeted everyone who passed by their shops, inviting them to see their goods. Housewives were loitering here and there to shop for dinner.

Speaking of it, what should Hina buy? She never cared for an ill person. Her family was healthy all year round, after all. She should ask Kaoru then, as the one who would do the cooking. But the chef later replied to her chat with a super vague line: "The best ingredient to cure sickness is fleetingly undying love."

Hina frowned. Love was a cure-all, according to Kaoru. Love… Did she mean delicious food? Everyone loved good food on their plates. Her pair of green eyes then caught a convenience store she was frequent to. Browsing at lunch boxes there would give her an idea of what to make.

Hina crossed the street and walked to the convenience store. An automatic door immediately opened, revealing the contents of a medium-sized store that consisted of mostly food and beverage products. Ready-to-eat foods like skewers, sausages, sandwiches, lunch boxes, and _oden_ were positioned neatly at the cashier.

"Welco, welco…" greeted a store's employee behind the cashier. "Oh, it's Hina-senpai~"

The one who welcomed Hina was a short-haired girl with sleepy eyes, as opposed to Hina's ever-lively ones. She was Moca Aoba, her underclassman at school. They became acquainted when Hina was looking for a band (Moca's band Afterglow was among the ones she approached).

"Moca-chan!" Hina approached the cashier merrily. "Thought I've seen you before somewhere. So this is where!"

"Fufufu, Moca-chan has been working here since last autumn~" The silver-haired girl wore a smug smile. "And since then, Moca-chan has mastered the art of efficient product placement that boosts sales."

"Oh, I went here a lot during autumn!" Hina exclaimed. That might be the time when she and Moca bumped into each other. "Too bad pumpkin and sweet potato goods only appear once a year, tho."

"I miss the limited pumpkin coronets…" Moca wore a glum face.

"Huh? I don't remember any pumpkin coronets."

"Moca-chan bought _Shonen Jump_ using employee's discount, yay~"

Hina laughed. Moca was so random that it kind of reminded her of Kaoru… Which brought the realization of her task at hand. She excused herself from the cashier and picked up a shopping basket.

The teal-haired girl browsed at the furthest part of the store. It was a row of refrigerated showcases full of chilled beverages, desserts, rice balls, sandwiches, as well as lunch sets. Hina caught a glance of the spring edition goods like sakura berry milk, sakura mochi, and various sakura-related flavors—which were tempting—but she shook her head and turned away. Hina's allowance was cut since Mom and Dad agreed to buy her a guitar, so she couldn't snack as often.

Hina then got a call from the manager of her band, who informed her that tonight's lesson would be canceled. It was a bummer that she couldn't tease her vocalist today, but looking at the bright side, she could help Kaoru cook in return.

Time to explore the lunch box section. It was vibrant with colors, yet there was a certain dish that immediately caught her attention. In front of it was a rack that displayed instant seasonings. The whole top two rows were dedicated to a certain cuisine loved by all Japanese households. Its wide variety of flavors confused her at first, but she chose a box that had a cartoonish mascot of a turban-wearing old man who spat out a fiery breath.

The problem was, what kind of toppings that Hina would pick for Kaoru. She turned her head to a showcase of candies and confectioneries. And it gave the genius girl a boppin' idea.

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

Hina came back to Lisa's house after spending half an hour touring the shopping street. Kaoru, who opened the door for Hina, helped her carry the shopping bags and placed them on a food preparation table. The taller girl then unveiled one of the plastic bags; it contained a one-kilo bag of rice as well as 500 grams of beef chunks.

"Aah, our thoughts are connected, indeed!" Kaoru waved her hand at the ingredients displayed before her. "I've been meaning to cook beef porridge as well."

Hina scrambled the contents of another bag and took out a box of instant seasoning. "Let's cook this instead!"

"Curry? That's quite an unusual choice to serve for a fallen princess..."

"Porridge is too plain. It doesn't express the passionate love you told me before," explained Hina. "Besides, producing sweat fastens the recovery of a cold, right?" She raised her thumb. "Sooo, a super hot curry is the best for the job!"

"Hmm, it seems plausible if you put it like that." Kaoru nodded in agreement. She glanced at the three remaining bags. "I believe you've procured other necessary ingredients, then?"

Hina put out various ingredients from the plastic bags, one by one.

"Oh, that's a whole load of greens there," Kaoru commented at five bunch of spinach laid on the table. "Are we going to use the remaining ones for spinach juice, perchance?"

"Be it curry topping or veggie juice; anything goes," said Hina. "I was reminded of _Popeye the Sailor Man_ when I passed by the veggies shop."

"Popeye?"

"He's a cartoon character who goes boppidy strong after he eats spinach," Hina explained. "Welp, maybe spinach can help Lisa-chi gain some energy." She raised her shoulders. "Aaaand, next~"

Hina revealed a can of jelly beans when Kaoru took a pair of scissors from a knife block set. The top student of Haneoka then proceeded with packages of chocolate bars, assorted marshmallows, and colorful tapioca pearls.

"You planned to make a cup of hot chocolate?" asked Kaoru, confused. "Curry, spinach juice, and hot chocolate make a rather intriguing combination."

"No, silly~" Hina wore a smug smile. "These four go to the curry!"

Kaoru gasped and dropped the scissors, but managed to catch it in mid-air. Hina didn't wait for her friend's remarks as she immediately unwrapped the last bag. It was filled with mangoes, strawberries, as well as Mandarin oranges.

Hina grinned. "And don't forget to put these fruits into the sauce as well!"

Kaoru was left speechless for a while before saying, "M-my! You never cease to amaze me, Hina. What a magnificent creation you had in mind!"

"I know right~" Hina nodded. "Beef curry with potatoes, carrots, and onions are kinda boring, right?" She put her hands on the hip. "So I bought sweets and fruits instead!"

Kaoru averted her gaze and laughed in low spirits. Hina wondered if Kaoru, in fact, hadn't fully recovered from the cold and offered her a bucket of spinach, but the recipient politely declined. Kaoru cut the rice bag and poured some into a measuring cup, then asked Hina to wash it.

Hina sang "Baby Shark" gleefully when she was washing the rice at the washbasin. In contrast, the only sound that came from Kaoru's side was the one produced by the tapping between a knife and its cutting board.

"Lisa-chi's rice cooker has many interesting options~," Hina said after she put the rice pot inside. "Hey, Kaoru-kun, should I try sushi mode?"

"Trying to experiment on the rice, aren't you?" Kaoru chuckled. "I'm quite curious about that function, but we should use the regular white rice mode this time."

"Okey dokey~" Hina picked the most common option. When an indicator lit up, she turned away and approached Kaoru. "What should I do next?"

Kaoru put grated ginger, crushed garlic, onion wedges, and carrot cuts (she used some ingredients from Lisa's fridge) into the curry pot. The girl seemed to be lost in thought before she replied, "How about cutting fruits?"

"Oh, so we can put them into the sauce later?"

The theater club member let out a sigh and turned to Hina. "...my princess, I'm afraid I can't present the fleeting curry of your vivid imagination," Kaoru said in a solemn tone.

Hina's shoulders declined. Since the high schooler saw curry lunch boxes at the convenience store, she had been picturing a brand new type of curry that would shake the culinary world. And to be told that it couldn't be done was disappointing.

"But why?"

Kaoru added blocks of beef chunks and poured water into the pot.

"Your highness, please accept the apology of this lowly vassal." Kaoru kneeled before Hina. "I deeply regret that my skill isn't sufficient to bring the curry that you envisioned into reality."

Hina was startled in surprise. She never received an apology as heartfelt as this. And it made her kind of guilty for asking the impossible.

"I-it's okay! Don't blame yourself, Kaoru-kun!" Hina gripped Kaoru's arm and shook them up, signaling the cook to rise.

Kaoru got up and touched her own chest. "I shall furtherly engage myself in the art of cooking so that I'll be able to serve any dish that my princess asks." Her scarlet eyes were filled with resolve.

After that dramatic moment, Kaoru told Hina that the remaining ingredients should be used to make fruity spinach juice, hot chocolate, and mixed fruit bowl. The two then continued their task. Hina peeled and cut the fruits, while Kaoru put various spices—including the instant curry roux Hina bought—while stirring the curry sauce.

A piece of classical music suddenly filled the air. Hina looked around, looking for the source, and she found Kaoru took out a phone from her school bag.

"Hina, could you watch the curry for a moment? You only need to stir it occasionally until the sauce thickens."

"Okey dokey!" Hina gave her friend a salute.

Kaoru left the room, but Hina could still hear her voice coming from the hallway. The school prince talked in a polite manner, although she didn't use difficult vocabulary or vague expressions like she usually did. And from the looks of it, she might be talking with her grandfather.

Hina looked around the kitchen while stirring the curry. It had a minimalistic wood-colored kitchen set and parts of the wall were warm brick accents. The stove she used right now had five burners with multi-tiered oven beneath it (a whole turkey would definitely fit in there). A bunch of cooking and food preparation equipment was present as well; even ones that she never had seen before. At the center of the kitchen stood a preparation table, equipped with a washbasin.

The Imai family sure loved cooking, Hina guessed. The kitchen in her home was decent but wasn't on par with this one.

A bunch of unused food was laying around on the preparation table. Hina peeked at Kaoru, who was still away chatting around without a care in the curry world, then looked back at the sweets and fruits.

Hina Hikawa admitted that she was a terrible cook. She had burnt burger patties, baked cookies that were hard as rocks, and fried super oily fried rice. But in this case, the curry was nearly done. It won't turn into a burnt curry just because she added some additional ingredients, right?

Oh, Hina was so going to do it.


	8. Chef Hina to the Scene!

**Chapter 8**

 **Chef Hina to the Scene!**

Hina Hikawa always loved experimenting with stuff, but she rarely did so with cooking. Her mother's cooking was a feast, so she didn't even need to cook any additional dishes. And now was a rare opportunity to channel her creativity.

The girl glanced to the right and left. No sign of Kaoru returning.

Grabbing chocolate bars was the first thing on Hina's to-do-list. She broke them into small pieces and threw them into the pot. Next were jelly beans, followed by a bunch of colorful tapioca pearls. Every girl loved their boba, didn't they?

Hina stirred the sweets before moving up to fruits. She squeezed the oranges and separated its seeds. Mango and strawberry cuts joined the party soon after.

Laughter came from the hallway. Hina grinned mischievously. Good thing Kaoru was still occupied with her grandfather, so she could fiddle with the curry for a while longer. But overhearing Kaoru's conversation made Hina miss her grandfathers. It wasn't easy to meet them because one was always traveling around the globe, while the other lived on the other side of the planet. Her grandparents who lived in Japan were Great Grandpa and Great Grandma from Dad's side.

Maybe Hina should give them a call.

But the curry business was more important for now. Hina quickly grabbed a knife and sliced a bunch of spinach. Her eyes then caught the existence of spices, beautifully lined on a rack. Kaoru looked so cool when she poured spices and herbs. Might do it as well!

After fiddling with spices (she also put other stuff along the way), all that was left were marshmallows. Just a step away from the boppin' curry of her dreams.

Alas, Hina had only managed to pour a few marshmallows when she heard footsteps approaching. The girl immediately turned around and hid the marshmallows behind her back.

"I'm so sorry the phone call took so long." Kaoru smiled apologetically. "How's the curry?"

"It's A-OK!" Hina raised a thumb with her free hand. "Don't worry, don't worry~"

Kaoru glanced at the preparation table. "The table is rather empty than I remembered, but I don't smell the aroma of hot chocolate…" She approached Hina and gave her a wink. "You don't happen to eat them, huh, mischievous little kitten?"

Hina avoided eye contact and laughed sheepishly. "Welp, I _did_ eat some…"

Kaoru let out a laugh. "The curry should've been thick enough now—huh, what's this?" She looked at the contents of the pot judgingly. "...Hina, why are there spinach, marshmallows, and jelly beans floating on the curry sauce?"

"Hmm, I wonder about that~" Hina waved her hand and accidentally showed the marshmallow pack she hid. "Oops…"

Kaoru caught the pack. Their hands touched and Hina could feel the softness and warmth of the taller girl's. She never realized it, but Kaoru had long slender fingers like models for hand cream products as well. Furthermore, her face and body… Hina couldn't help but wonder, how come a normal high schooler had such a flawless physique.

"...My, what am I going to do with you?"

Kaoru wore a teasing smile and fixated her eyes to Hina. She touched the smaller girl's chin.

Oh, Hina got it. Kaoru must be an alien from Mars. Or an android with a super sophisticated artificial intelligence.

"Guess I must expect some sort of punishment for adding stuff without your permission?"

But Hina must search for evidence to support her theory.

"You sure are a daring one." Kaoru chuckled. "A punishment is in session, then."

Kaoru pinched Hina's cheek softly. Her teasing smile was still there. It was unclear whether she was truly displeased or just liked to flirt around.

"Mm, it smells great—whoa, am I interrupting something?"

Both Hina and Kaoru turned their heads and saw Lisa by the dining table. Her face looked brighter after she slept for a few hours, which made Hina glad.

"Oh, nothing to be concerned about," Kaoru lightly said. She whispered, "We'll pick this up later" to Hina then walked toward Lisa. Hina followed suit.

"I just shared the words of the great bard to this mischievous little kitten here, that's all."

"Right~" Lisa nodded, yet she didn't bother to hide her amusement at this misleading situation. "Are you guys cooking curry, by the way?"

"You got that right!" exclaimed Hina. She gestured to Lisa to sit at the dining table. "C'mon, eat our cur—"

"N-no, please don't, princess!" Kaoru interrupted.

Lisa sat on the reserved seat. "Of course I'm going to eat your curry!" She giggled. "You guys have spent the time and effort to cook it."

"For your wellbeing, I suggest you reconsider." Kaoru put on a serious face. "I mean it, Lisa."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Hina pouted. "It's just a curry with a few adjustments, Kaoru-kun. How bad could it be?"

"Yeah, bring it on!" Lisa raised her fist.

Hina and Kaoru took three plates then served the curry-rice combo (Lisa intended to help, but Kaoru forbade her). A while later, the trio sat at the dining table with curry and a jar of cold water as well as milk. They were going to eat a hot curry, after all.

Hina poured yet another round of marshmallows to the curry. She couldn't wait to munch at this curry. The combination of sweet, savory, and spicy must be great.

Kaoru's face was as white as a paper; so pale as if she was going to die. The girl turned her head away, toward the window. Her sharp eyes gazed into the distance. Mesmerized by the beauty of bonsai in the backyard, perhaps?

Lisa, meanwhile, wore a puzzled expression at the sight of the curry. But her bewilderment didn't last long. The brunette then smiled and clasped her hands in high spirits. How contrasting, compared to Kaoru….

"Let's eat!"

Lisa took a spoonful of curry. She caught a half-melted chocolate block instead of a beef chunk.

"H-hold on, Lisa!" said Kaoru, making Lisa stop her hand, just a few inches away from the mouth. "Please, allow me to taste-test it first."

"...Uh, okay?" Lisa put the spoon back. "Go ahead."

Kaoru took a deep breath and prayed to various deities. Did she have to be that dramatic over something as simple as eating a curry? The thought made Hina giggle in amusement.

Marshmallow, strawberry, and a couple of tapioca pearls were caught by Kaoru's spoon. The holder gulped and closed her eyes. After a brief pause, she finally fed herself with the curry.

Hina's eyes were sparkling with excitement. She awaited Kaoru's thoughts on the curry, yet the taller girl was just chewing her food... slowly, silently. Then a swallow.

A clang broke the silence as a spoon fell to the floor. Kaoru followed suit, but she fell into Hina's lap instead, eyes closed.

"K-Kaoru?!" Lisa got up from her seat and approached the unconscious girl.

"Whoa, did the curry tasted so boppidy great that it sent you to heaven?"

"I think that's not the case, ahaha…"

"Why, then?" Hina recalled the ingredients that she poured into the pot. "Strange, I didn't remember putting anesthetics or something like that."

"—mother," Kaoru muttered.

Hina and Lisa turned their gaze to Kaoru. The school prince slowly opened her eyes, then raised from Hina's lap. Her eyes were droopy. She didn't appear to have been fully conscious… yet.

"Kaoru, you there?" asked Lisa.

"Mm?" Kaoru massaged her forehead.

Hina took a new spoon from the cutlery holder and put it beside Kaoru's plate. "Hey, was it good?" she said.

"...Yes."

The smile on Hina's face grew even brighter with the acknowledgment from the chef of the day.

"I know there's a sweet curry recipe out there." Lisa let out a sigh of relief. "It's tricky to make it tasty, though, so I was kinda worried when you guys served it."

The two then made eye contact and took a spoonful of curry.

"Time to dig in!"

Both Hina and Lisa ate the curry in unison. And just like a pair of twins, they spurted it out in perfect harmony.

"It's awful...! NOT. BOPPIN'. AT. ALL!" yelled Hina. She turned to the person who sat beside her and continued, "Kaoru-kun, you… you meanie liar!"

"Huh, what is it, dear Grandmother…?" Kaoru vaguely replied; still half-awake.

Tears came out of Lisa's eyes. The girl drank her cold water in one gulp, then proceeded with milk. "What's with this... food combining?" she said weakly between sobs and pushed the curry plate away. "I… I'm sorry, I just can't…!"

Hina pushed her plate away as well. The curry was so horrible that she couldn't stand looking at it anymore.

"...I'm quite certain that sweets and fruits weren't the only ingredients you added back then." Lisa squinted her eyes in suspicion. "If it were, the taste won't be this…" she paused for a second. "This dreadful."

Hina laughed sheepishly.

Lisa wiped her tears. "Seriously, just what were the _other_ stuff you put there?"

"Just sweets and fruits, really." Hina raised her shoulders. She then recalled the last thing she did before finishing the failed masterpiece with marshmallows. "Oh! I remember putting a bunch of MSG, peppers, coffee, yogurt, wine, vinegar, and random green herbs!"

Lisa let out a dry laugh.

Kaoru, meanwhile, waved her hands and gave a solemn monologue, "Aah, what a fleeting field of red spider lily…."

"Red spider lily…?" asked Lisa. The brunette touched her chin as if she was lost in thought, then suddenly let out a gasp. "Wait, are you talking about the Sanzu River?!"

"Whoa, I'm so sorry for ruining your curry, Kaoru-kun!" Hina shook her friend's body in a state of panic. "Please don't cross that river to the afterlife!"


	9. Fateful Meeting in the Morning

**Chapter 9**

 **Fateful Meeting in the Morning**

Lisa laid down on the bed. She tucked herself in a blanket with a cold compress still on her forehead. The brunette was wide awake after sleeping for nearly all day long, so now she binge-watched a romantic comedy series on her phone.

The door of Lisa's bedroom opened abruptly, revealing her neighbor, Yukina. The silver-haired girl wore a displeased look.

"There's a pot of weird-looking curry on the stove." Yukina crossed her hands and stared at Lisa judgingly. "You tried to cook while I was away, aren't you?" The girl then let out a sigh. "...I know you must be bored, eating my mother's chicken soup all day long, but just bear with it until you've recovered."

Lisa paused the video and put her phone away. "Uh, welcome back…?" She smiled awkwardly. Her childhood friend sure had the tendency to just cut to the chase.

"...Oh, I'm back," Yukina replied. "So, the cooking?"

"You're right about the cooking part, but…" Lisa rubbed her cheek. "It wasn't me, honest!"

"There's supposed to be no one in the house beside you." Yukina frowned.

"Welp… Remember Kaoru and Hina from yesterday, the two who were with me on the field?

Yukina nodded.

Lisa got up from her position and held the compress cloth with her hand. "They came shortly after you left." The girl began her explanation. "Kaoru said she felt responsible for infecting me with the cold, so they decided to care for me." She recalled while Yukina listened intently. "They insist on cooking something, and—" She giggled at the thought of the deadly curry. "—oh boy, you won't believe what stuff Hina put into the pot!"

"They're surprisingly nice to a person they befriended for only three days," Yukina commented.

The neighbor showed no interest in the story of the deadly curry, so Lisa refrained to share its craziness. Bummer. Her friend wasn't this stoic during the old days.

"I know, right." The brunette chuckled instead.

Lisa thought maybe that was the reason behind Kaoru's popularity. The school prince deeply cared about people around her and Lisa could tell it was genuine (although she had the tendency of exaggerating things). Kaoru Seta was too kind to a fault if Lisa could describe her in one sentence.

Yukina approached a bean bag beside the bed and sat on it. "And aren't you too trusting for letting new friends rummaging your kitchen when you're down with a cold?"

"Oh, what's this?" Lisa smirked. "Yukina~ Are you jelly that we had fun while you were away?"

Yukina turned away. The songstress might appear cold, but deep down she was an adorable baby sister who occasionally pouted over the most trivial stuff.

But now Lisa wondered about the familiarity of 2-A trio as well. She had just befriended Kaoru and Hina for three days, yet they already felt like longtime friends. Maybe it was due to craziness they had experienced in this short span of time.

"I'm just concerned about your well-being."

Lisa peeked at Yukina's face. She could see that her best friend's face turned red. The girl smiled. It was rare for Yukina to clearly show her affection like this. Not since what happened to Yukina's father band.

If it was due to Lisa being sick, then she hoped that the cold remained for another day.

...but what a foolish thought. Lisa couldn't stand being bedridden for a whole day, let alone two. She was too used to have her schedule full of activities; be it a part-time job, dance club, tennis club, and vice class representative.

"By the way… Whose guitar is that?"

Yukina pointed at a gig bag leaned to Lisa's cupboard, just beside the stand for Lisa's red velvet bass guitar. Lisa used to play bass with Yukina and her father a long time ago. But now the bass guitar was just there collecting dust.

"That's Hina's. She forgot to bring it, so I'm going to take it to school tomorrow," replied Lisa. "Speaking of, what were you doing at CiRCLE? Didn't you just have a gig the other day?"

"Oh, I have a rehearsal with a fellow band member."

"Wait, what? Since when did you form a band?"

"She's a guitarist. Her name is Sayo."

"Heeey, answer my question, Yukina~"

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

Lisa left home around half past six in the morning. She walked past the neighboring house and saw that the curtain of Yukina's room was still closed. Her friend was still asleep, most likely.

The high schooler walked through the streets of the neighborhood. Along the way, she exchanged greetings with her neighbors who were either jogging, walking dogs, or shopping for groceries. Despite living in a big city—where people tend to be individualistic—Lisa was familiar with most of her neighbors; from children to elderlies.

Lisa walked past an intersection when she heard a familiar voice from behind. And who would call her "princess" aside from a certain flamboyant person from school?

"Morning, Kaoru!" said Lisa as she turned around. "Are you—"

Lisa's sentence stopped halfway. She thought Kaoru intended to leave for school earlier like she was, but that won't be the case considering the attire her friend wore.

"Aah, princess! I am so pleased to see you up and healthy again." Kaoru waved her hands. "It must be God's will that allows us to meet while yours truly is wandering about in the search of the meaning of life."

"Right~"

A dry laugh filled the air. Lisa didn't know a jog in the morning could turn someone into a philosopher. Who would have thought that the school prince was such a bizarre character? The teenager let out a sigh. Lisa could swear if Kaoru didn't utter a single word, her poor heart would throb wildly at the sight of the person before her.

Kaoru Seta's tall slender figure was covered by plum-colored running jacket over a t-shirt, ¾ track tights, and completed by pricey running shoes that were widely talked online during the past few months. Drops of sweat ran from her forehead to cheeks; some more even fell from the locks of her purple hair. People might think Lisa was weird, but Kaoru being drenched in sweat looked so darn sexy. And despite all the moisture, she still smelled good. Did she produce perfume instead of sweat?

"My, you have quite a packed schedule today," Kaoru said, glancing at stuff carried on Lisa's back. "A band rehearsal and… Tennis practice?"

"Huh, what band?" Lisa was startled. The girl then realized the thing she carried on her back. She shook her head and said, "No, it's Hina's. She forgot to bring her guitar yesterday, remember?"

The tennis racket was hers, indeed. Lisa planned to attend today's morning practice; an activity she rarely did during the regular club days. The tennis club member just wanted to move around after being stuck to bed yesterday.

"Ah, she did mention it on the chat group…" Kaoru nodded.

Lisa, Kaoru, and Hina formed a smaller chat group beside their classroom's livelier group. Hina often renamed the room and the current one was "Victims of Mystery Curry X".

"But you own one too, right?" asked Kaoru. "I saw a fleeting crimson guitar in your bedroom."

"It's been years since I last played the bass, though."

Kaoru didn't press further, which was relieving. Lisa was always troubled whenever a friend saw her bass guitar and asked why she didn't play it anymore. The best solution was to hide it from sight, yet she didn't have the heart to put it away because the guitar was filled with memories….

Lisa and Kaoru continued the walk. Normally she would take a tram to school, but she intended to move her body anyway. The distance to school wasn't that far, actually. Some of her friends who lived around Lisa's neighborhood usually went to school by bike or even on foot.

"I didn't know you live nearby," Lisa said. "Shame that we never encounter each other before, ahaha~"

Kaoru rubbed her sweat with a pocket towel. "Maybe fate doesn't allow us to meet early because it has some sort of plan awaiting ahead for us."

Lisa giggled. Kaoru sure loved to talk in riddles.

Lisa and Kaoru crossed a river. The waterway was picturesque with a row of sakura trees planted at its sides. The cherry blossoms had bloomed. Its petals fell to the river, causing a small ripple that gave a sense of peace. Steep concrete walls surrounded the river on both sides. It would be quite a drop there, but fortunately, steel railings about the height of an adult's chest were installed to prevent any unfortunate event.

"Hina lives around the area as well," Kaoru informed. "In fact, my abode is even closer to hers."

Lisa smiled. "You should ask her to become your jogging buddy."

"Just her?" Kaoru asked. "What about you, princess?"

Like being summoned, a voice shouting "BOPPIN!" could be heard from the radius of a few meters. Lisa and Kaoru looked around to search for the source of the ever-familiar voice.

"There she is!"

Lisa gawked at the direction Kaoru pointed to.

Hina Hikawa was sitting on the river's railing with a fishing rod at hand. A freshwater fish flew in the air as it was caught by the teal-haired girl's bait. What amazed Lisa even more, her friend wore the classic attire for doing the sport—vest with multiple pockets as well as a bucket hat. And didn't her eyes catch fire and smoke near Hina? Did she roast the fish on the spot as well?

Hina didn't seem to realize the presence of Lisa and Kaoru, as she stepped down the barrier and sat on the pavement doing only-God-knows-what.

Kaoru ran toward the scene, with Lisa following suit. As the brunette had expected, a campfire was lit in front of the railings, with three rainbow trouts in the middle of roasting. And as of how Hina managed to gather woods in the middle of urban Tokyo, she didn't have the slightest idea.

"Hina, what a magnificent—" Kaoru said, but she shrieked in horror a second later.

"Hey, Kaoru-kun, Lisa-chi!"

Oh, how Lisa could understand Kaoru's fear. Hina was in the middle of dissecting the freshly-caught rainbow trout. The poor fish's stomach had been cut open, with its bloody guts pulled away by the fisher girl. That was a gruesome sight indeed for anyone who had never seen the process. Lisa recalled the time when her family went on a camp trip. She used to hide behind her mom's back when her dad removed the insides of fish.

"I… I'll pretend to not see that." Kaoru turned away. Color had left her face. She leaned to the fence and looked at the river below. "Aah, what a fleeting life you have, little rainbow trout kittens…"

Lisa glanced at their surroundings. The spot that Hina picked was an alley beside a three-story building. No one was walking through the narrow street, fortunately, so whatever Hina did wasn't a bother to anyone… maybe. And Hina came prepared. On the floor lay a box containing various hooks and baits, survival knife, branches, two jars of white seasonings, plastic bag, newspaper, a bucket of clean water, as well as hand soap.

Lisa crouched to join her friend at the odd fishing spot.

"Why do you… Err, fish here?"

Hina wore a bright smile. "I have a sudden urge to fish because Kaoru was playing on the Sanzu River." She threw the fish gut into a plastic bag. "And this is the nearest river from home~"

Lisa gazed at her friend's green eyes that were sparkling in excitement. Despite the eccentricity, she looked so pure, so precious, like a kid who had just done something for the first time. Lisa wanted to cuddle little Hina, but the girl must hold that urge because she wouldn't want to arrive at school with a uniform reeked of fish.

And speaking of fish, she needed to tell Hina something about that...

"Hina, I don't think it's safe to fish around these parts…" Lisa said. "It's so steep and kinda suggests that this place isn't suited for fishing?" She raised her shoulders. "Besides, sitting on a fence like that got me kinda worried, you know..."

Hina the fisher girl tilted her head, quietly listening.

Lisa then recalled something. "Oh, how about I bring you to that fishing spot next to Ichigaya Station?" She clasped her hands. "We can catch carp and goldfish there~"

When Lisa was a kid, her dad often brought her to the said fish center. While the adults were fishing for carp at large pools, Lisa and other kids would catch goldfish at the mini pool. After each visit, she would bring a couple of goldfish home and put them into the aquarium.

"Goldfishes are cute, but fishing at a pool doesn't sound boppin'~" Hina skewered the rainbow trout into a branch and made diagonal cuts to its sides. She raised the skewers and continued, "Cause we can't make a campfire roasted fish!"

"W-well, I can't argue with that." Lisa rubbed her cheeks. She glanced at Hina's previous spot and returned her gaze to the fisher. "But no sitting on the fence, okay? It's gonna hurt a lot if you slip and hit the concrete wall."

"Okey dokey~" Hina replied while she poured seasonings to the rainbow trout. "Imma hike the mountains next time!" The girl thrust the branch to a loose pavement gap as she finished her sentence.

That was more worrying than fishing in your own neighborhood.


	10. Fishy Guitar Business

**Chapter 10**

 **Fishy Guitar Business**

* * *

"I miss you, Bubblegum!"

Hina hugged a sky blue electric guitar, so tight like someone who met a long-lost friend. She brushed the surface of the musical instrument with the biggest smile on her face, then proceeded to strum its strings.

"Oh? I thought your guitar is an electric one," Kaoru said confusedly. "Yet, it sounds acoustic."

"Cause it's not connected to an amp," Lisa informed. "Here, you can use mine."

Lisa took a palm-sized guitar amplifier from her school bag and gave it to Hina; an action she later questioned. The stupid brain just gave out an unnecessary signal to bring an amplifier to accompany the electric guitar (which wasn't even hers).

"Shuwa, shuwa, please tell me the name of this feeling …."

Hina spent the next few minutes strumming the strings of her electric guitar and singing at the same time. Lisa never heard it, yet she loved the fluffy song already. The melody was catchy and it has fluffy lyrics. She imagined, if the mystery song had a PV, it would be full of colorful sweets like macarons and donuts. Although Hina's fisherman attire and the smell of roasted fish kind of ruined the mood of the song.

"Aah, what a fleeting adolescent love you've portrayed!" Kaoru dramatically waved her hands. "Pray tell, what is this song called?"

"It's 'Shuwarin Drea~min' by Pastel✽Palettes!" Hina raised her thumb. "That's the name of my band and we're gonna debut this Saturday, by the way."

"Whoa, debut already?"

"Yup! Try google for it~"

The 2-A vice class representative looked up the band on her phone. Pastel✽Palettes were a group of five. The bassist and keyboardist were familiar faces, but not on a personal level as Hina. Lisa just knew Chisato Shirasagi as a famous actress who often starred in numerous hit drama series and Eve Wakamiya as a rising model that had made appearances in various fashion magazines.

Judging from the lineup, Hina's band was no joke.

"Could I see your phone?" asked Kaoru.

Lisa gave her phone to Kaoru. "But idol band, huh?" She raised an eyebrow. "So… are you guys going to dance while playing an instrument?"

"Mm, only Aya's gonna dance around, I think." Hina touched her chin. "I want to stretch my arms or do backflips, tho~" She pouted.

Lisa laughed. "Hey, you might bump into your bandmates or instruments if you do that!"

Meanwhile, Kaoru was so absorbed with the article about Pastel✽Palettes. The ponytailed girl smiled tenderly at the official idol portrait of Chisato Shirasagi. Which brought a question...

"Are you a fan of Chisato Shirasagi?"

"Yes?" replied Kaoru. The girl put Lisa's phone down and was lost in thought for a moment. "A fan, huh…" She smiled. "I guess you can say that. She was the reason I aspired to be a stage actress, after all."

"I bet she's going to be delighted to hear that."

"Now I wonder about that." Kaoru chuckled.

"Hey, hey!"

Both Lisa and Kaoru turned to Hina.

"Kaoru-kun, do you play any instruments?" asked Hina. "And there's a bass guitar in Lisa-chi's bedroom, right? We should jam together sometime!"

"Wha—no! I'm no good, honest!" Lisa shook her head. "It's been years since I last played my bass guitar, so I'm basically a beginner…"

"A musical ensemble? That's a wonderful idea!" Kaoru nodded in agreement. "I was in the marching band during the primary school days, so I can assist you with a trumpet or some other wind instruments."

"It's gonna be whaaam!" Hina clenched her fists in excitement. "I can imagine it already!"

"H-hey, your fish is cooked!" Lisa pointed at the roasted rainbow trouts. She sniffed at the barbecued fish. "Mm, smells good…."

"Really?! I've done it right this time?"

"I think so." Lisa giggled. "...for now."

Based on yesterday's curry, Lisa could imagine that the cooking experience of Hina Hikawa has been filled with numerous failures. Hina was just like her during the first few attempts of cooking without any guidance. Poor ingredient combining and attempts to imitate chefs without knowledge of the proper technique often led to what her mom dubbed as "kitchen disaster".

Hina pulled two more roasted fish and handed one to Kaoru.

"May I ask, what kind of seasonings do you use this time?"

"I keep things simple today! Just two powdery stuff, really." Hina grinned. "Don't worry. A pinch of 'em won't send you to the Sanzu River."

"That put my mind at ease." Kaoru let out a sigh of relief. "Although I was overjoyed to meet my dear late grandmother, I still want to see the abundant number of fleetingness the world of the living has to provide."

The trio then had a bite.

Lisa tasted the natural flavor of a rainbow trout, yet something was amiss.

Hina the cook frowned. With her mouth full of food, she commented, "It tastes kinda funny."

"You take the words out of my mouth, ahaha," responded Lisa.

Kaoru, meanwhile, didn't seem to have any problem. She took bite after bite in total silence.

Lisa squinted at Hina's spice jars in total suspicion. "I wonder why…"

"Huh, why do you stop eating?" asked Kaoru after she swallowed the food. "This is an exquisite cuisine if we compare it with that cur—" The crimson-eyed girl faked a cough. "—A certain food which tastes can't be described with mere words!"

Lisa giggled. It was so obvious that her friend was talking about yesterday's curry. Kaoru might be a great actress, but she was bad at lying.

"Right, you've eaten the worst of all—no offense, Hina."

"Nah, I'm happy enough if that curry left a lasting impression."

Lisa took Hina's jars of spice. After giving it a closer look, she could easily identify the white powder. As for the other one, she had a guess based on the fish's taste, but she poured some to her index finger and licked it anyway.

"Roasted fish with powdered sugar and cinnamon is an interesting combination." Lisa giggled. "But welp, as Kaoru said, it's still edible!"

"Bhoo… And here I thought, I'll be able to invent a breakthrough recipe." Hina pouted. "Roasted fish with salt is kinda boring, you know~"

"Thank you for the meal."

Kaoru was the first to finish breakfast. She removed the fish bones from its branch then threw them to the plastic bag which Hina used for fish guts. And as the girl was washing her hands, she said, "Lisa, if it doesn't suit your palate, I can buy some seasonings to improve the taste."

"N-no, please don't trouble yourself!" Lisa replied.

"It's nothing of the sort." Kaoru smiled. "I need to buy a drink anyway."

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

Lisa and Hina put back their fish skewers to the gaps of the pavement after Kaoru left. Hina grabbed her guitar and played another song; this time was a much more familiar melody of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?".

"Say, Lisa-chi…" Hina averted her gaze from the guitar. "Did you use to play the bass with Yukina-chan?"

"H-how do you know?"

"Just a random guess." Hina raised her shoulders. "She sang, you accompanied her with the bass guitar. Maybe someone else played other instruments like the guitar."

The one who played the guitar would be Yukina's Dad. How Lisa longed for the past. But those joyful sessions were long gone...

"...Your random guess is spot on, actually."

"Oh, do I get candy?" Hina grinned. "So, why did you stop? Yukina-chan still sings, right?"

"She performs from one live house to another," Lisa answered. "Yukina is an exceptional singer. Many people look up to her."

...Herself included.

"But what about you, Lisa-chi? Don't you want to stand by her side on the stage?"

Lisa's eyes widened.

Her, performing alongside Yukina? A no-good bassist like herself? Lisa would never dare to imagine that. She would just hinder Yukina's performance with her insufficient skill.

Not after she watched her best friend sing seriously for the first time in a live house.

That day she learned the hard truth.

Their sessions at Yukina's living room were just child's play.

"Earth to Lisa-chi!"

Hina had stood before Lisa and waved her hand around.

"Oh, sorry! I just lost in thought."

The guitarist grinned. She returned to her spot and played yet another popular song.

Lisa turned her head. Another cherry blossom petals had fallen from its tree to the river's surface. She exhaled. This scenery made her feel even more melancholic.

The brunette stopped playing the bass guitar altogether and engaged in what many girls her age did. She looked at her hands. Decorative fake nails were attached to her real nails. These weren't the nails of a string instrument player. She was just a regular high schooler who loved following the latest fashion trends.

"...You know, it's just—" Lisa spoke in a low voice, so quiet that it sounded more like a whisper. "—I feel unworthy." She smiled bitterly. "Performing with Yukina, that is."

Hina raised one of her eyebrows. "What's the deal with unworthy this, unworthy that?" She candidly asked. "You guys are good friends. You just need to jam together."

"Well, I can't. Yukina is a musical genius, while I'm—"

Lisa just realized something. Hina belonged in the same group as Yukina. She sighed. Of course, Hina who excelled at anything wouldn't understand Lisa's position as an average person.

"Look, I just can't. Besides, Yukina just got a guitarist for her band, so she's not a lone-wolf anymore."

Hina raised her thumb and gleefully exclaimed, "Then you can be her bassist!"

Hina was so oblivious of Lisa's inferiority complex that it prompted her to facepalm.

"Yeah, right… I'm going to become Yukina's bassist, okay..."

"Oh, what's with this bassist business?"

Kaoru had returned from shopping, with two plastic bags on hand.

"N-nothing! Hina and I were just talking about random stuff—"

"Lisa-chi said she's going to perform with Yukina-chan on stage!"

Lisa immediately covered her face with her hands. Her cheeks felt hot in embarrassment. Why did Hina jump to that conclusion? She just agreed to Hina's suggestion in total thoughtlessness, just so Hina would quit pressing about the whole why-did-you-quit-playing issue.

"That would be delightful," Kaoru said. "The lone-wolf songstress will be no more—" she paused for a while. "—now is the time for the wolf songstress-bassist duo to take on the world."

Oh, how Lisa wanted to dig a hole and buried herself in it…

"There's a guitarist, too," Hina informed.

"Is it you who's going to wield the guitar?"

"Nah, it's someone else."

"Oh."

Kaoru took a seat beside Lisa and distributed bottled green teas to everyone. The contents of the other bag—jars of salt, black pepper, garlic, as well as mixed herbs—were laid in front of the campfire.

The wind suddenly blew, making even more sakura petals scattered around. Lisa held her hair and caught a glimpse of a few petals falling into the fire. Its light pink color quickly turned to black then the flower was reduced to nothing. It was a sad sight to see. But even without flames, the existence of sakura flowers was already fleeting as it was.

"It feels like a flower-watching event," said Kaoru. She drank her tea and continued watching the sakura trees.

"An odd one, at that." Lisa giggled. "We have newspapers instead of mats and sweet roasted fish instead of lunch boxes."

"It's boppin' that we do it differently than everyone else, right~?"

"You're full of surprise, Hina." Kaoru chuckled. She gazed at the pale pink petals before her once more. "Aah, it looks like this year will turn out to be a very eventful one."

Lisa's classmates then continued the talk about the music ensemble. Hina listened intently while Kaoru shared her experience in a musical and marching band. They were so enthusiastic about the idea of performing music together. A feeling that Lisa didn't share. Not with her half-assed attitude toward music.

Lisa still dwelled upon what she stated just a few moments back. Even if it was for avoiding her classmate's barrage of questions, she didn't need to lie about joining Yukina's band.

The high schooler sighed.

Guess deep down, she wanted to play the bass guitar alongside Yukina once again. Although Lisa was fully aware of their difference in skills, she longed to return to those days.

How selfish she was.


	11. Torn Apart by Two Goddesses

**Chapter 11**

 **Torn Apart by Two Goddesses**

* * *

Kaoru Seta gazed at an electric guitar laid on a coffee table before her. It was white as ivory with golden ornaments. Its strings were platinum-colored. Six strings that made her recalled a few goddesses who represented Virgo, the sixth astrological sign in the zodiac. She lifted the musical instrument then brushed on its surface with a gentle touch. The curves were so flawless that it might rival the statue of a Greek goddess.

"Aah, this is the epitome of beauty!"

The theater club star waved her free arm dramatically. If she were on stage, a spotlight would illuminate her lonesome figure.

"Kaoru, have you thanked your grandfather?"

That voice came from the kitchen. It belonged to her mother, who had been preparing lunch boxes for Kaoru and her father since a while ago.

"Why, of course, Mother. That was the first thing I did when I uncovered the package."

Kaoru stroked her purple lock, which was let loose and still in bed head mode but looked dazzling nonetheless. But alas, Mrs. Seta didn't see that motion due to the kitchen rush.

The sixteen-year-old received yet another present from her dear grandfather, although Christmas and her birthday had long gone by. A day barely passed since Kaoru told him the news of her joining a merry band. And then, in this fine morning, a huge package was delivered to Seta Household's doorstep. It was so early that Kaoru herself was still asleep when the delivery courier rang the bell.

"How long are you going to look at the guitar?" Kaoru's mother shouted from the kitchen. "You have school today. Get ready, then eat breakfast."

"Coming!" Kaoru replied.

The girl put her precious guitar into a black hard case and left the living room, but not before uttering a goodbye:

"It was tormenting that we should be separated, right after we just met…" She glanced at the guitar case. "Aah, our moment together is utterly fleeting."

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

In the end, Kaoru was unable to part with her newly-obtained guitar. Thus, she brought her lover to school.

Astraea attracted attention because Kaoru's friends didn't know that she played guitar. Not that she could blame them. The girl only decided to become a guitarist four days prior, when she was approached by two daring princesses right after her theatrical performance.

Class of 2-A was already lively although there was still half an hour left before the first period started. About ten girls were there in groups; doing various activities like sharing morning snacks, discussing a lesson, or fiddling with phones.

The latter group was joining desks at the rear side of the room, where Kaoru's seat was located. The girl walked to the area. Four of her classmates' phones were producing loud songs and tapping sounds. It seemed like they were playing a rhythm game… which was quite intriguing, because it wasn't often to see four of them together, let alone playing a mobile game.

"Morning, Kaoru!" exclaimed Reina Takahashi, though her face was facing a phone screen. The "forever class representative" since middle school.

By the time Kaoru approached her classmates, the playful song stopped, followed by some sound effects and changed into lounge-like music. Three of the remaining gamers, having finished their game, immediately said hi to Kaoru.

"Aah, the tragedy…!" Kaoru touched her chest. "It is despairing that my little kittens were so enchanted with the game that my thin presence was forgotten," she monologued in a sorrowful tone.

"So-sorry, I didn't mean that!" Lisa Imai stuttered. The vice class representative who was also a fashion rebel by wearing accessories that violated school rules.

"No one in the right mind would ignore your presence, Kaoru-san!" Chieko Nakahara added. The speedster of the track and field club who also excelled at other sports as well.

"No need to apologize, little kittens." Kaoru chuckled. "I was being humorous. No offense taken."

"Join our game, Kaoru-kun!" Hina Hikawa grinned. The top student of Haneoka who often did bizarre, unexpected stuff.

Kaoru put out her phone from the school bag. "What game is it?"

Hina showed her phone. "This trending rhythm game! It's kinda addicting and interestingly, one of the characters looks like you—hey, isn't that a guitar?!"

Lisa's eyes widened as she pointed at Astraea's case. "Wait, you're playing guitar for real?!" The fashionista couldn't hide her surprise. "I thought you played the trumpet."

"Whoa, bringing a musical instrument becomes a new trend, it seems!" Chieko said. "Maybe I should start playing one too!"

"Trend?" asked Kaoru confusedly. "Is there anyone else who started to bring a musical instrument as well?"

"You bet!" exclaimed Hina. "Guess what, Lisa-chi brought her bass today!" She pointed at the rear side of the classroom.

Kaoru averted her gaze. Four musical instruments cases were lined up in front of the 2-A's mini lockers. And regardless of what Hina stated just now, the number of cases there didn't increase. It seemed that Hina refrained from bringing Bubblegum, her electric guitar, due to her band's unfortunate circumstances.

"...What a surprise, Lisa!" Kaoru smiled at the vice class representative. "You joined Yukina's band, I presume?"

"Welp, something like that. It's kind of a coincidence, though!" Lisa replied. "How about you, Kaoru?"

"Ah, yes. Two princesses from Hanasakigawa asked me to become their guitarist the other day."

"I bet Kaoru-kun's guitar is boppidy fleeting!" Hina raised her thumb. "Lemme see it~"

"Why, of course. My other half is indeed a thing of beauty." Kaoru smiled proudly. "It'll be unfortunate if people aren't able to see the wondrous form of her."

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

The departure of the world history teacher marked the end of 2-A's first period. The students had several minutes to relax before the next teacher came. Kaoru utilized that moment to check on her phone. Several new chats had filled the chat group of Kaoru's band.

[KO•KO•RO] KANON

[KO•KO•RO] KAORU

[KO•KO•RO] The suit people just sent me these photos!

Kokoro Tsurumaki posted a few photos. It was pictures of three musical instruments: a microphone with merry-themed decorative befitting Kokoro's liveliness, sky-blue drum set which color was a reminiscent of Kanon, as well as… a fleeting brown electric guitar which curves also resembled the statue of a Greek goddess, just like Astraea. They were lined up inside a room with classical architecture.

[KO•KO•RO] The guitar is our gift for you, Kaoru!

[KO•KO•RO] We just need to recruit some more people

[Kanon Matsubara] Fuee! When did they take my drum set?

[KO•KO•RO] Then we can do the band stuff at my home!

[Kanon Matsubara] It was still in my bedroom this morning

Panic engulfed Kaoru's mind. Demeter had descended from Mount Olympus. She wondered why the Olympian decided to make her appearance today, of all times.

[KO•KO•RO] The suits will transport them if you guys wanna take them home

In no way, Kaoru could tell Kokoro and Kanon that she already got a guitar of her own. Thus, she typed:

[Kaoru Seta] Aah, what a marvelous set of musical instruments!

[Kaoru Seta] I can't wait to create a fleeting theme song with my two princesses

[KO•KO•RO] Create songs?

[Kaoru Seta] Why, yes. We're a band, correct?

[KO•KO•RO] I thought we're going to pole-dancing with the mic stand, juggling the guitar, and using the drums as some kind of trampoline?

[Kanon Matsubara] Fuee! Who's going to compose one?

[Kanon Matsubara] But wait, we must at least have a bassist!

[Kaoru Seta] Fret not, Kanon. I'm confident we're going to welcome one soon enough

[Kaoru Seta] Our recruitment poster will use my radiant self as the model, after all

Contrary to her virtual excitement, Kaoru's heart, in reality, was filled with guilt. Kokoro also gave her a guitar when she already had Astraea. Her life with the ivory guitar had just begun, yet she was offered another love?

This was what they called an affair, didn't it?

The thought of cheating on anyone never occurred in her mind. Neither Astraea nor Demeter deserved to receive this kind of treatment.

Kaoru felt so sinned.

Eventually, she must choose only one to become her lifetime companion.

What a dilemma...

Two Greek Goddesses made Kaoru's poor heart feel torn apart. Oh, how cruel this world can be, she thought.

Kaoru let out a heavy sigh. This situation needed help from an unrelated party. She thought of who would be best to ask, and it didn't take long for her to find the right person. This one friend of hers would give her a logical solution. But she would need to wait until lunch break to make a phone call.

As soon as the bell rang, Kaoru left the classroom and dialed a number on her phone's contacts. It took a while before the recipient answered the call.

"Yes?"

"My princess! It's been an eternity since I last heard that sweet voice of yours—"

The call got cut. Kaoru's childhood friend surely disliked small talk. She dialed again.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kaoru."

Kaoru chuckled. But was it just her imagination, or did she just heard Kanon's signature "fuee" in the background?

...Maybe she was only hearing things. The world wasn't that small, right?

"Sharp-tongued as ever huh, Chisato?"

"Please excuse me for a moment—" Chisato's voice suddenly fainted, but it became crystal clear once more within seconds. "This sharp-tongue of mine is only applied to Kaoru Seta, mind you."

"My, it brings joy that yours truly is the only one in the whole wide world who receives Chisato Shirasagi's special treatment."

Kaoru could imagine Chisato Shirasagi was rolling her eyes right now.

"...Please state your business right away."

"Oh, I just wanted to ask for an opinion..." Kaoru leaned her back to the wall. "I've been quite tormented with guilt since this morning because I can't choose between the two."

Chisato listened quietly.

"Who would you choose—" Kaoru paused to give a dramatic feeling to her question. "—to be my other half: Astraea or Demeter?"

"What's with these Greek goddesses' names you spout..." Chisato sighed. "Are you flirting on fellow cast members now?"

"Huh? No, they are guitars."

"Go see a doctor."

And the call got cut again. It was unfortunate that asking for Chisato's opinion didn't bear any fruition. Maybe she should ask for another opinion.

By the time Kaoru returned to the classroom, some of her classmates had left the area. But the ones she intended to ask were still around. The girl approached Lisa and Hina who joined their desks and ate lunch.

"Kaoru, you're not eating?" asked Lisa.

Hina eyed for Lisa's lunch box. "Hey, can I exchange my smoked herring with your _karaage_?"

"Ah, I am quite hungry, but..." Kaoru wore a glum face. "But alas, I think I'm unable to enjoy food with my mind occupied by this predicament."

"Mm, something happened?" Lisa pushed her lunch box. Hina grabbed a piece of _karaage_ with chopsticks then offered her own food to the brunette.

Kaoru moved her chair to Lisa and Hina's joint desks and sat there. She sighed and said, "To think I would have to cheat on Astraea and Demeter…"

"Dmitri and Astor—who?" Lisa asked confusedly. "Are they, err, stage names of actors?"

"Astraea and Demeter are Greek goddesses!"

Hina then told the mythology of Astraea as well as Demeter. Astraea descended to the sky and became constellation Virgo because she was disgusted with the wickedness of humans. Demeter neglected her duties as the Goddess of Harvest because she was grief-stricken by her daughter's disappearance; making living things on Earth ceased to grow, only to flourish once again when her daughter returned to her side.

Hearing about Astraea and Demeter's stories made Kaoru recall her thoughts for plenty of myths out there. Their stories were fleetingly beautiful, yet the Gods turned out to be irresponsible beings.

"Right~," Lisa put down her chopsticks and turned to Kaoru again. "But what do you mean by cheating Greek goddesses?"

"I apologize for making you bewildered with questions." Kaoru smiled. "They are the names of my guitars." Yet, her smile didn't last long. "Truth is, my bandmate gave me another guitar aside from my grandfather's."

Lisa nodded. "In other words, now you are in a dilemma of choosing which one to use because you don't want to upset anyone?"

"You know me so well, Lisa!"

"How about both?" Hina munched at Lisa's _karaage_. "Let's say you use Astraea at home, while Demeter is for when you play with your band…" The girl waved her chopsticks around as she spoke.

"But what if my dear grandfather comes to watch our gig someday?" Kaoru's shoulders declined. "He will be heartbroken if he witnesses me playing another guitar."

"Pretend that you forgot to bring Astraea, so you are forced to use Demeter!"

Kaoru gasped. "His poor heart would sink even deeper than the Titanic if I were forgetting the existence of his present…"

"There, there… Just calm yourself." Lisa patted Kaoru's back. "We're gonna think of this together, alright?"

"You have my gratitude!" said Kaoru, who later let out a sigh. "I'm sorry for panicking like that. That was so unsightly of me…"

Usually, it would be Kaoru's role to encourage little kittens who wore a long face. Now it was backward. How uncharacteristic of Kaoru Seta.

"Mm, what to do, what to do~," said Hina with her mouth full of food.

Kaoru touched her forehead. "Aah, my mind won't be at peace until I find the right answer..."

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Hina clasped her hands. The genius girl's pair of green eyes were sparkling. "Kaoru-kun can play two guitars at once! You know, just like a dual-wielding swordsman!"

Kaoru gave that suggestion serious thought. What Hina said might sound random, yet Kaoru knew it would definitely please both parties.

"Hina, you never cease to amaze me!" Kaoru raised from her seat and exclaimed in delight. "You have opened my eyes! I shall devote myself to master the dual guitars style!" She touched her chest to show her resolve.

"H-hold your horses!" Lisa interjected. "How will you play the guitars?"

"Strum them as usual?" Hina asked back. "Right hand for Astraea, left for Demeter!"

"O-okay…" Lisa smiled awkwardly. "Strumming simultaneously is one thing, but what about the chords?"

Kaoru chuckled. "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Lisa averted her eyes. "It takes four hands rather than a sheer will, though..."

"That is of no issue, little kitten," Kaoru winked. "I am fully aware that humans, including yours truly, are only gifted with a pair of hands. Thus, I will—" She touched her violet locks and fluttered them in a dramatic way. "—strum the strings with my feet instead."

Both Lisa and Hina were dumbfounded.

"Come again?"

"Whoa, BOPPIN'!" Hina got up from her seat as well. "I wanna see it, I wanna see it!"

Lisa commented, "...It amazed me how you were able to declare _that_ with a straight face, ahaha."

"But alas, I am unable to accomplish the feat at the moment." Kaoru's face went glum. "I shall fly to India first in order to acquire the secret techniques of yoga."

Hina then talked about boppin' elephants as well as mentioning some strange tourist spots in India, which delighted Kaoru because she had never set foot on the country of curry and she needed references.

"You only need to visit the local gyms, though." Lisa giggled. "Kaoru's being dedicated as always, huh…"

"Why, of course." Kaoru rubbed her chin and smiled. "Dedication is my middle name, after all."

"...Okay, but let's put the dual-wielding stuff aside for now, shall we?" said Lisa.

"Oh? I'm all ears for another suggestion," Kaoru replied.

"I think honesty is our best option here." Lisa smiled. "Just tell her that your grandpa gave you a guitar. As long as you give a proper explanation, I believe she'll understand the situation!"

"Welp, I can tell that both Kaoru-kun's grandpa and friend are nice people because they fully support your band activity. I'm sure they will not be that upset!" Hina grinned. "Surprises like this are prone to mishaps, anyway~"

"Is that so?"

"Yup!" Lisa winked confidently. "It's better to be honest upfront. Besides, it's bad for you too if you prolong this cheating drama."

"W-well, you're right, I suppose…" said Kaoru.

Death by guilt would befall Kaoru if she were to hide the existence of her secret lover any longer. And acquiring dual-wielding skills might take quite some time that her poor heart would give in to sorrow.

Her friends' advice enlightened Kaoru's clouded mind. She was supposed to meet Kokoro Tsurumaki and Kanon Matsubara after school. The guitarist would utilize the chance to tell them about Astraea.

Yes. Kaoru Seta had made up her mind.

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

 **A/N:**

I made up Hina and Kaoru's guitar names on a whim. I choose "Bubblegum" for Hina due to the color of her guitar and the fact that she loves candies. Kaoru, being poetic and all, strike me as the type who's also knowledgeable in myths and folklores.

I haven't determined the name of Lisa's bass guitar, though. Hina would come up with food names like Red Velvet or something, while Kaoru might suggest a proper name from some classic literature. Or I might use something of sentimental value like Yukina-related stuff.

Oh, speaking of guitars... I owe my friend, Noir Ciel, for helping with Kaoru's dramatic narration when she met the ivory guitar for the first time, and eventually prompted me to use Greek goddesses' names for her guitars.

 _Anyways, thanks for reading! Please let me know your thoughts for this chapter by leaving a comment ^o^_


	12. Candy Shop of Past Memories

**Chapter 12**

 **Candy Shop of Past Memories**

Hina Hikawa was stricken with poverty. The girl hated to admit her sorry state but looking at the inside of her wallet, now she couldn't help but feel so. It only contained 85 yen. An amount so sad that it wouldn't be enough to buy a piece of bread at convenience stores.

It was Bubblegum, her dearest baby blue electric guitar, that made Hina fall to such a miserable state.

Bubblegum was the most expensive thing she ever asked from her parents. It took days of (almost) non-stop pleading until her parents finally agreed to buy Hina one. But it cost her something dear. Hina's pocket money was cut for the next six months.

Her mom thought that Hina would get bored with the guitar and turned it into another pile of junk in the closet. Hina had a tendency to try something new, became absorbed with it for a while, then left it altogether.

Hina put the wallet and glanced at the window. From her classroom's window seat, she could see the courtyard. More and more sakura petals fell from its tree. The flower-viewing season would soon end. So was the money inside Hina's wallet. And next month's allowance was still a week away….

The poor maiden let out a sigh. And why did she monologuing hyperbolic words as if she was the most unfortunate damsel in the world? She felt kind of melodramatic nowadays and she didn't know why.

"Aah, why the long face, princess?"

Hina turned her head and grinned. "Hey, Dad!"

Kaoru chuckled as she returned Hina's greeting. The girl looked fleetingly attractive as always in her gray blazer of Haneoka. She carried a guitar hard case, though Hina didn't know whether it contained Astraea or Demeter.

A realization then struck. Now Hina realized what happened to her head. She spent too much time with the theater club star, that's why!

Kaoru leaned her guitar case to the lockers at the rear side of the classroom, alongside several other instrument cases. A couple of 2-A girls were involved in bands. People said that girl bands were emerging here and there these days, which might be the case if Hina looked at the number of Haneoka students who carry around various musical instruments.

Although she belonged in a band as well, Hina didn't bring her guitar. Pastel✽Palettes, her band, performed a scandalous live debut last week. They were lip-syncing and miming instruments due to their management's order. People soon found out their act, thanks to a certain technical failure. And their reputation was rock bottom now, especially around the band world. So Hina refrained from carrying her instrument around in order to avoid more drama (she stored it at the agency's office instead).

"So… what's troubling your mind?" Kaoru asked as she put her school bag to her desk, which was two seats behind Hina's.

"No biggie~" Hina raised her shoulders. "Just the sorry state of my allowance."

Kaoru's expression turned grim as if she just heard that someone had died. She approached Hina's desk and expressed her condolences.

"But Imma return your money for sure. Don't you worry, Kaoru-kun!" said Hina. "...But wait 'til my mom gives me next month's allowance, okay?" She smiled sheepishly.

Kaoru chuckled. "It's my treat, really."

A couple of days back Hina, Kaoru, and Lisa went to a convenience store nearby. Having thought that her dad slipped some extra money that day, Hina bought some candies and potato chips. But alas, when she proceeded to the register, her money had gone. She forgot that her mom found out about the "secret transaction" and confiscated the money.

Kaoru and Lisa found out about Hina's money trouble. Both of them offered to pay for Hina's transaction. "Let me pay for her" and "No, please allow me instead" exchanges went on forever, which was funny to look at but heartwarming at the same time. Neither intended to back down, just like husband and wife fighting over their child's custody. Tired of the never-ending argument, the "parents" then agreed to split the payment in half.

Since then, Hina called them "dad" and "mom" sometimes.

"Morning, everyone!"

Hina turned her head as Lisa's voice came from the door. A couple of 2-A students greeted back. After making small talks with her classmates, Lisa went to her seat which was between Hina and Kaoru's. Same as Kaoru, she also brought an instrument case: a bass guitar's one on her back.

"Greetings, princess!" Kaoru waved her hand. "Your smile is shining, shimmering, splendid as the sun."

Hina laughed. "Did you just use a line in 'A Whole New World', Kaoru-kun?"

"Why, of course. That's one fleeting song that never gets old." Kaoru stroked her purple hair. She returned her gaze to Lisa and asked, "I reckon something good happened to your band?"

"Whoa! How do you know that?" Lisa was startled but soon regained her composure. "Are you a mind reader?" She laughed.

"Psst! She's an alien from Planet Kaorunus," whispered Hina.

"Planet what?"

"I'm from the moon, actually," Kaoru said with a straight face. "But jokes aside, my wild guess turns out to be spot on?"

Lisa wore a bright smile. "Yeah! We've got a gig offer for next month!"

"Wow, boppin'! I wanna see you guys perform!"

"Though we don't have a keyboardist yet..."

"Congratulations, Lisa! Aah, I shall prepare a fleeting bouquet for you."

"Save that for later…" Lisa blushed. She then stared at Hina for a few seconds. "...Say, Hina. Is your sister named Sayo?"

"Yup!" Hina nodded excitedly. "But how did you know her name? I thought I've never mentioned her name…"

Lisa rubbed her cheek. "Because she's the guitarist of my band?" She said. "Sorry, I should've asked you sooner. I didn't know her surname because Yukina introduced her to me and Ako as simply 'Sayo', ahaha…"

Hina dropped her jaw. "What?! You and Onee-chan are bandmates?!" The short-haired girl held Lisa's hands. Her eyes were sparkling. "How is she when she's playing with you guys? Does she look happy? Is she having fun?"

"Hey, slow down, Hina!" Lisa laughed.

"Come on, Lisa-chi!" exclaimed Hina. "She never tells me about her band activities, so I thought maybe you might spill it to me~"

"Huh? Sure, but…" Lisa tilted her head. "Why won't Sayo talk to you?"

Hina froze for a moment. Not many people knew about her circumstance with Sayo. Although they were twins, their bond was far from good. A cold war would be fitting in describing the sisters' relationship.

"That's not important, really!" Hina replied abruptly. "...Oh! Do you have any photos of her? And what about ..."

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

Hina yawned. Today's school was uneventful again. It had been this way since her band was caught faking their performance. People used to be friendly with Hina, but now most of them bad-mouthed or ignored her. Only a few still act like normal.

Her urge to snack grew even stronger during the last few days. Stress eating? Maybe so. But buying them at the convenience stores was out of the question, considering her sad amount of money. The only possible place to buy affordable treats was...

As the school bell rang, Hina got up from her seat and turned around. "Hey, you guys wanna tag along to a _dagashiya_?"

"Huh, _dagashiya_?" Lisa put her books and stationeries into her school bag. "Sure! It's been ages since I went to one."

" _Dagashiya_?" asked Kaoru; seemingly unfamiliar with that terminology.

 _Dagashiya_ wasn't especially a popular place for kids these days, thanks to the convenience store boom. But at least regular children would know what it was. Hina couldn't help but think that it might be due to Kaoru's status as a crazy rich Japanese. As one who kept at least 120,000 yen inside her wallet, Kaoru wouldn't be a type of kid who knew about 10-yen snacks.

Hina and Lisa explained to Kaoru that it was a penny candy shop. The snacks there were super cheap. With 85 yen that Hina had in hand, she could purchase up to eight items. Maybe more if she won lotteries from the packaging of some snacks.

"Seems like an intriguing place," Kaoru commented. "I shall join your entourage, then."

The trio went to the shopping street. It was lively with people of various backgrounds as well; such as housewives, kids, and students from various schools around the area. The area was filled with numerous shops: from a meat shop to a live house. The buildings there looked neat and could be considered as good spots for street photography.

A certain building was even more eye-catching than the others: a two-story Japanese-style building that might have stood for at least a hundred years old. Beside its sliding door, there was a fridge filled with old school carbonated drinks (Hina especially loved Ramune sodas) and a couple of vintage _gacha_ machines.

It was the _dagashiya_ that Hina and her friends were supposed to visit.

"Wow, it's even more vintage than the one I used to visit…" said Lisa in awe. She took her phone and grabbed a couple of photos from different angles. "I'm always fascinated by old buildings like this!"

"Including its ghosts?" asked Hina.

Lisa shuddered. "That's... the last thing I want to meet."

Hina giggled at Lisa who looked at her phone gallery; probably checking if the photos she took just now contained apparitions or such. The shoulder-length haired girl then turned to Kaoru. The prince of Haneoka just froze; neither moved nor spoke.

"Kaoru-kun, are you afraid of ghosts too?"

"C-come again?" said Kaoru, being flustered for no reason. She brushed her purple hair backward. "I look forward to meeting one if anything. I need to interview him for my next play's reference."

"...Why would you need to interview ghosts for a play?" Lisa asked. Her face was pale.

"The theater club plans to perform a ghost story."

"Aw, shucks." Hina's shoulders declined. "Truth is… I lied about the ghosts. Granny said that she never encountered any ghost during her sixty-something years of living here."

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief, while Kaoru smiled and said that it was unfortunate.

"Mm… Should we go to some real haunted houses?" Hina touched her chin. "I wanna help your theater club." Her mouth formed a grin. "Besides, befriending ghosts sound boppin'!"

"NO!" Lisa shouted. "H-hey, why do we just stand around while there are so many snacks inside?" said her as she entered the shop in a hurry.

The penny candy shop felt homey. Maybe it was due to its wooden interior and various Heisei era stuff like a rotary phone, antique radio, and black and white TV were here and there. The lighting was warm, with Edison-style yellow light bulbs. A lot of photos were hung on the walls; photos of its loyal customers throughout the ages.

An assortment of candies and chocolates were put into jars and baskets. There were also wooden boxes with glass walls that contained a number of crackers, chips, and biscuits. Near the register was a candy machine filled with colorful gumballs. And a dagashiya wouldn't be complete without the kids' toys, which were grouped near the candy machine; either hung or placed inside cardboard boxes.

"Wow, the selection is huge! It's even more amazing than the one I used to go with my neighbors!" exclaimed Lisa. Her eyes were filled in wonder. "How come I never knew this place?"

"Aah, it feels like another world…" said Kaoru. She waved her hands dramatically. "Hina, you have my gratitude for inviting me to this sweets wonderland!"

Hina giggled at her classmates' reaction, then greeted an old lady sitting behind the register. The granny wore traditional clothing: a _hanten_ jacket over _kimono_. And she was so chill there; drinking tea while snacking on tri-color _dango_ dumplings.

"Hina-chan! How is school?"

Hina didn't want to make the granny worried, so she only talked about the fun stuff and left out the fake band thingy which made her infamous at school. As Hina's story went on, the old lady offered her a _dango_ , which she munched happily. Lisa and Kaoru, meanwhile, were browsing at the snacks.

The granny sipped her tea before she said, "Sayo-chan came by too, you know."

"Huh? Onee-chan did?"

It was surprising. The thought that Sayo still went to a kid's candy shop never passed her mind. Maybe her sister did visit this place as frequently as her, but the granny simply forgot to mention it after all this time.

"When, Granny?"

The granny pondered for a while. "Monday if I'm not mistaken."

Monday. That was the day when Hina and Sayo had a huge fight. Well, it was one-sided, though. Sayo was the only one who did the yelling, while Hina struggled so hard to contain her tears.

The granny reminisced about the day that little Sayo and Hina first came to the _dagashiya_. Hina glanced at a photo hanging behind the elderly. It featured toddler Hina and Sayo with their parents. Hikawa twins visited granny's place almost every day after they played at the nearby park. Their love for sweets, which remained up until now, might originate from this place.

How Hina wished to visit the penny candy shop together with Sayo again someday…


	13. Revue of the Sweets Wonderland

**Chapter 13**

 **Revue of the Sweets Wonderland**

Hina heard a familiar _gacha_ sound nearby. Lisa and Kaoru played a candy machine beside the register. Kaoru was especially mesmerized by the mechanism of the said machine and its colorful gumballs.

"Here, try it yourself!" said Lisa as she handed Kaoru a couple of coins.

"To guess what color will come out next…" Kaoru gazed at the candies inside with burning passion. "Aah, what a heart-pounding experience!"

Hina laughed. Although Kaoru maintained her composure, she couldn't hide her child-like purity… Which was fun to see.

After playing with the candy machine for a few minutes, the trio browsed at other sweets.

"Goodness gracious!" Kaoru gasped in surprise. She pointed at a row of candies sold in mini boxes. "How come they sell cigarettes at a kids' snack shop?!"

Hina laughed. Lisa's expression was kind of funny too; she struggled so hard to hold her laughter at Kaoru's obliviousness but decided to explain the stuff anyway.

"It's… Actually candies that are shaped and packaged like the real thing. It's a-hundred-percent safe for kids' consumption. Just sugar and some artificial flavorings, really."

"I see…" Kaoru nodded. "I suppose it's most likely used for playing-pretend mafias?"

Kaoru put a box of candy cigarettes in her shopping basket, then looked at other stuff. She stopped and looked at a small box that contained _kinako_ sticks. The Haneoka prince picked the small stick. Her face looked puzzled.

"That's a _kinako_ stick!" Hina said. "It's some kind of roasted soybean flour... Similar to _mochi_ , I think?"

"I think I would love those," Kaoru rubbed her chin. "I especially love _mochi_ —" The tall girl faked a cough. "—I mean, _sachertorte_ is still my number one favorite sweets, but _mochi_ is quite tasty as well."

"So, do you love mochi or not?" asked Hina confusedly.

"No, I didn't say that I love _mochi_." Kaoru crossed her arms. She averted her gaze to the _kinako_ sticks box again. "Oh, it's 10K a box."

"Uh, it's 10 yen each," Lisa corrected.

"10 yen apiece?!" Kaoru couldn't hide her surprise. She held the whole box with trembling hands. "S-so cheap…"

"Even if we multiply them, it won't reach 10K. It's just about a hundred sticks or so per box." Lisa giggled. "Why did you come to that 10K conclusion anyway?"

"Kaoru's wallet is filled with Yukichi; maybe that's why!" guessed Hina.

The 10,000 yen note was the largest banknote denomination in Japanese yen. It featured a portrait of a Meiji era philosopher, Yukichi Fukuzawa. Thus, making the note nicknamed "Yukichi".

"Jeez, you're making me jelly, Kaoru!" teased Lisa. "No high schooler collects Yukichi in her wallet."

"Huh? I thought everyone had at least a dozen of Yukichi inside their wallets."

While the topic about Yukichi went on, Hina overheard two girls talking from outside of the shop.

"Is this… the shop?" said a girl doubtfully. "It's not going to collapse anytime soon, right?"

" _Quelle horreur!_ " Another girl spoke in French but switched to Japanese right away. "W-we should probably stick to the _choux à la crème_ after all…"

Hina frowned. Why would they say that granny's place was going to collapse? It wasn't like this building was made from cardboards. And what the heck _choux à la crème_ was anyway?

The two girls froze for a while before they entered the shop. They looked around with caution. It turned out that they were girls of Hina's age, wearing uniforms that looked familiar but she couldn't tell which school it was from. The uniform's overall color was gray, but in a way darker shade than Haneoka and its blazer's design was more like a bolero.

One of the highschoolers immediately caught the Haneoka student's attention. The first girl was stunningly beautiful with wavy waist-length ash blonde hair (she might come from mixed ancestry, judging from her face and French words she uttered). The other girl was cute and she had some sort of mischievousness plastered on her face.

"Sorry for intruding…"

The blonde approached the owner of _dagashiya_ and politely asked, "Excuse me, granny. Do you sell—" She turned to her friend. "What is it again? _Tsuchinoko_ stick?"

Hina thought that the girl's voice sounded really familiar, somehow… Like a person who she became acquainted with, not long before this.

"How come it turns into _'tsuchinoko'_?!" replied the other girl with a strong Kansai dialect. "It's _kina_ —" The blue-haired girl gasped and pointed to the direction of Kaoru. "That's it!"

Lisa turned her head. "Huh? What's that?"

The Kansai girl walked toward the Haneoka duo and pointed at what Kaoru held. "That's _kinako_ sticks you're holding—" Her eyes widened. "—wait, aren't you…?"

"Kaoru Seta from Haneoka?" finished the blonde.

Kaoru winked. "My, it's an honor that my humble self remains in your memory." She bowed like a prince greeting his princess. "Greetings, little kittens from Seisho Music Academy!"

Seisho Music Academy was a prestigious girls' school famous for its theatre major. These girls were stage actresses, most likely.

"Do you always behave like this?" asked the _kinako_ girl.

"For me, the world's a stage, Hanayagi-san."

"Who are they, Kaoru-kun?" asked Hina.

Kaoru introduced the two as fellow stage actresses whom she frequently met at theater competitions. The _kinako_ girl was Kaoruko Hanayagi, while the blonde actress was Claudine Saijou.

"Has Haneoka worked for the summer competition?" asked Claudine. "We've started rehearsals at Seisho."

Kaoru waved her hand and exclaimed, "Aah, as expected of last year's winner!"

"Why do you need to remind me of that?" Kaoruko sighed. "Can I drop out of the competition now, Saijou-han? It's tiresome to practice for two plays at once," she complained with an even stronger but lazier Kansai dialect.

"Hey, don't you withdraw now!" scolded Claudine. "Who's going to lead the Black Lion Nation?"

"Two plays?" Kaoru tilted her head. "The other one is _Starlight_ , I presume?"

" _C'est exact!_ " said Claudine in French. She eyed Kaoru with her rose-colored eyes. "If only you accepted the invitation from Seisho, we would have starred in that same production."

"It's a truth that my radiance has crossed the boundary of schools." Kaoru chuckled. She touched her own chest and added, "But my acting is nowhere near your fleeting performance, Saijou-san."

"Really? You're one of the few people that's able to stand on par with Maya Tendou, though." She brushed her ash-blonde hair and smiled with confidence. "Well, that few people include me, of course!"

Hina looked at both Kaoru and Claudine in turns. She never watched Kaoru's stage play, but from the looks of it, her friend seemed to possess an immense talent in acting. Now she was curious about it. She should watch the theater club's performance sometime later.

Kaoruko pulled Claudine's sleeve. "What about Futaba-han's _kinako_ sticks?"

"Oh, sorry! I got too carried," said Claudine, who later pointed at the box of _kinako_ sticks on Kaoru's hands. "We'd like to purchase that snack. How much does it cost?"

"It's ten yen."

Kaoruko pulled a black card from her wallet. "All right. Ten grand it is."

"Forgive me for being unclear." Kaoru clarified, "I meant: ten without the grand. For a piece."

Hina laughed. "Not only your names are identical, but your way of thinking is similar, too!"

"Ten yen a piece...?" Kaoruko repeated the price with disbelief.

Kaoru nodded.

Kaoruko's legs lost its power as she uttered "So cheap..." and dropped the credit card. Kaoru quickly passed the snack box to Lisa and used her right arm to catch the damsel. It was a scene straight from romance dramas.

"Did my beauty astound you, little kitten?" Kaoru winked.

"Wha—" Kaoruko's face was beet-red. "L-let go of me, you flirtatious prince-wannabe!" She pushed the taller girl's shoulders. "And don't you dare take any pics, you lot!"

Hina, Lisa, and Claudine grabbed more photos instead, which made the Kansai girl angrier.

After all that dramatic scene, the Seisho duo proceeded to the cashier to ask for another box of _kinako_ sticks. They bid farewell to the Haneoka trio and left the store.

"What an interesting duo!" Hina giggled.

"Mm…" Lisa rubbed her chin. "That Claudine seems awfully familiar. I wonder where I've seen her before."

"Well, she was a child actress," Kaoru informed. "She starred in a variety of stage plays and TV commercials. I'm quite sure you've seen Lou's and Kountry Ma'am?"

"Oh, those commercials!"

"But, hey…" Hina said. "Doesn't her voice sound kinda familiar, too?"

"Err… You mean, like Yukina's?" replied Lisa. "It really does, huh? I wonder if they're relatives, ahaha..."

The 2-A girls then continued their shopping. At the end of the day, Hina brought home a lot of snacks and toys. Both Lisa and Kaoru were kind enough to treat her, even though she hadn't paid her previous debt. Hina's classmates truly became her second mom and dad, after all….

 **A/N:** Long time no see! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know your thoughts about this newest chapter, especially the crossover (if you follow _that_ other multimedia franchise as well, of course :3).

 _Au revoir!_


	14. Mediating Conflicting Sisters: Tough Job

**Chapter 14**

 **Mediating Conflicting Sisters is a Tough Job**

* * *

9oThe crowd at live house CiRCLE cheered wildly as Lisa and her bandmates ended their third and final song of the day. Yukina bowed to the audience, then made eye contact with the others. Having finished their task, they soon leave the stage. Lisa and Ako waved and smiled brightly to their band's very first fans, while the other three walked straight to the backstage.

The wave of congratulations continued as Roselia returned to the dressing room. A couple of bands that performed in the same live session complimented their performance. Lisa was kind of anxious because she made a couple of mistakes back there, but receiving positive feedback made her feel much more confident.

Roselia members gathered at a table in the center of the room. Yukina stated that their evaluation session for today's gig was going to be held tomorrow when they would do another rehearsal. Aiming high, Roselia practiced real hard for a band that consisted of school girls.

"Oh, right! Lisa-nee's going to a concert, huh?" said Ako. "That's a shame…" The middle school student's shoulders declined. "I want us to go celebrate our debut somewhere…"

"No need for celebrations." Yukina shook her head. "It's not like we're doing this for fun."

Lisa whispered to the petite drummer, "Dontcha worry, Ako. I'm going to persuade Yukina to eat out after tomorrow's rehearsal."

The chemistry of Roselia was still far from perfect. Awkward might be a proper word to describe their relationship, especially if talking about Yukina and Sayo who were serious all the time and spared no time for what they deemed as unconstructive activities. Lisa considered all of her bandmates as friends, but it seemed those two saw the others as mere colleagues… which was kind of sad, if she could be honest.

"By the way…" Lisa approached the guitarist. "Sayo, are you coming?"

"I'd rather practice the guitar." Sayo stored her navy blue guitar into its case. "I made a mistake during the outro of 'Six Trillion Years and Overnight Story'."

"Eh, that Vocaloid cover? You can always practice later~" Lisa gave a light tap to her bandmate's shoulder. "Come on! It's not every day your little sister has a second debut."

Sayo stared at Lisa's hand. She seemed rather uncomfortable with skinship, so Lisa let go of the older Hikawa twin's shoulder.

"...I couldn't care less about that." Sayo carried the guitar case to her back. "It's her own fault for taking part in that farce."

"M-maybe so, but still..."

Sayo clicked her tongue. "Did Hina ask you to pester me?"

"Huh? No!" Lisa shook her head. "Please don't be mad at Hina…" the brunette said weakly. "She didn't ask me to do anything, really."

"Don't be a busybody, then."

Sayo soon left the dressing room. Lisa and the other Roselia members could only look at one another in silence before Ako raised a question about the Hikawa sisters' relationship. Lisa didn't know what exactly happened to them, so she couldn't say much. Yukina then cut their talk, saying that prying into others' business would just create unnecessary conflict.

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

CiRCLE was a live house that doubled as a music studio. The place was quite a hit for indie music goers in the Shinjuku area. Although there wasn't much activity at the public area now because people were still watching the remaining bands that held a gig this afternoon.

Lisa went straight to the lobby as she left the dressing room. The corridors were empty, but from the small glass panel on the door, she could see that most of the studio was rented.

The highschooler checked her phone. There were a couple of messages from Kaoru and Hina in their chatroom. Kaoru was spreading poetic quotes here and there, while Hina spammed the chat with photos of food that she ate a while ago. She typed some replies, complete with stickers.

[Lisa Imai] Hina, did you really eat all that?

[Boppin' Potato] Yup!

[Boppin' Potato] My pants feel tight, somehow~

[Lisa Imai] I'm jelly you don't gain weight despite your appetite

[Lisa Imai] You and Moca should become foodie buddies!

[Lisa Imai] BTW, I've wrapped things up~

[Lisa Imai] Kaoru, you're really at the live house right now?

Kaoru had a sudden appointment this morning. Her dear horse happened to give birth earlier than expected and she wasn't sure whether she could return in time.

[Kaoru Seta] Aah, look! What an exquisite fruit tart they got here!

[Lisa Imai] Circle's cafe, then~

[Boppin' Potato] Oopsie, gotta go rehearse now!

Lisa spotted someone that she knew, Marina Tsukishima, by the reception area. The manager of CiRCLE helped Lisa a lot in prepping for today's gig, so she would like to say her regards as well as apologize that Roselia couldn't stay for long. As one of the performers, Lisa wanted to stay until the entirety of the concert had finished, but she needed to go watch Hina's performance at a different venue.

The open-air cafe located in front of the live house was filled with more than a dozen people, occupying seven tables. Kaoru was one of them; currently eating a fruit tart as she had mentioned before in the chatroom. Realizing Lisa's approaching, the purple-haired girl put her fork down and reached for something that was sitting on a vacant seat beside hers.

"My princess!" Kaoru held a flower bouquet and kneeled before Lisa. "Please accept this congratulatory bouquet from yours truly."

"W-what?" said Lisa flusteredly, but took the bouquet anyway. "Thanks, Kaoru!" She smiled. "But hey, I thought you were joking when you said about preparing a bouquet!"

It was the first time someone gave her one. The girl sniffed the flower; it smelled good and relaxing.

Kaoru winked as she got up. "It is the principle of a Seta family member to keep her word." She touched her chest dramatically and added, "I believe, a much-anticipated musical ensemble between longtime friends is certainly an occasion to be commemorated with a bouquet of flowers."

"You're not wrong about that." Lisa giggled. "I secretly wanted to play music with her again, yeah..."

Kaoru smiled apologetically and said, "Besides, consider it my way to express my regret for only being able to witness your last song of the day."

"Don't sweat it, Kaoru," Lisa replied. "How's the baby horse?"

"White and her foal are in perfect health, of course," said Kaoru. "Aah, births are such a fleeting moment to watch." She waved her hand and spoke in a solemn tone. "I must express my sincerest gratitude to my mother for going through the hardship of labor sixteen years ago."

"Ahaha, yeah…" Lisa giggled. "And where's this ranch, though?"

"Oh, just beside Lake Toya."

"Huh? _The_ Lake Toya in Hokkaido?"

"Precisely." Kaoru took a medium-sized yellow box from a paper bag. "Here's a souvenir for you."

Lisa received the box that reads " _wakasaimo_ ", a confectionery that was one of Hokkaido's specialties.

"In these six hours, you took a round trip flight to Hokkaido?" Lisa asked in bewilderment. "And you even had the time to have brunch there?"

"Oh, does she want to tag along, perchance?"

"Huh? Who?" asked Lisa, forgotten about Hokkaido. She turned her head and saw Yukina walking toward them.

"Aah, if it isn't Yukina!" Kaoru winked at the songstress. "Your fleeting voice truly captivated my heart. It made me even more eager to invite you to the theater club's musicals!"

Yukina frowned. "Still not giving up, huh," she said flatly.

"And I see you're still playing hard to get." Kaoru chuckled. She waved her arms and began monologuing, "Aah, my endeavor today meets yet another failure… But it matters not, for there'll be tomorrow and the days after."

Yukina shrugged and turned to Lisa instead. She stretched her right hand and said, "Give me the bass and bouquet."

"Oh, you want to compose a new song with my bass?" Lisa asked. "Why the bouquet, though? Is the song about flowers?"

Yukina shook her head. "I'll take that home for you later. Must be a chore to carry those around a concert venue."

"Oh, so that's the case..." Lisa giggled. "It's okay, really! I can just bring them all."

Yukina didn't flinch. She just stared at Lisa in silence. It didn't take long until Lisa gave up and passed her belongings. The neighbor of hers soon returned to CiRCLE. Lisa wondered if her friend intended to book a studio for solo practice before returning home.

Lisa and Kaoru then sat at the cafe table. There was still some spare time, so Lisa ordered some desserts as well. Besides, Kaoru was always a slow eater because she savored every bite and liked to add commentaries here and there. Even a simple school lunch box could feel like an extravagant New Year banquet due to her usage of difficult words and poetic lines.

"Hey, why don't you start a food review channel, Kaoru? I bet people—" Lisa jokingly said, but her sentence was cut short as she saw yet another familiar figure. "Sayo, you're not—"

The said person was passing by the cafe. And as if she knew what Lisa was about to say, the older twin of Hina immediately gave a firm statement: "Don't make me repeat myself, Imai-san."

Sayo soon left the scene; making both Lisa and Kaoru baffled.

"What happened with the Yamato Nadeshiko?" Kaoru asked. "Are you two involved in some sort of conflict, perchance?"

"What? N-no! We're good!" answered Lisa. "But what's with the 'Yamato Nadeshiko' thing, anyway?" The girl laughed.

"Mm, how should I put it…" Kaoru brushed her violet hair. "Her figure at the school gate; the long sleek hair of hers blown by the spring breeze, along with falling sakura petals…" She spoke dramatically while waving her arms. "Aah, it was the epitome of Japanese beauty!"

"Your way to describe something is always unique, ahaha…"

Lisa's laugh quickly died out. Her mind was still occupied with the Hikawa twins' conflict. Kaoru was quick to sense Lisa's state of mind and asked what worried the brunette. The bassist of Roselia recounted what happened a moment before she met Kaoru at the lobby of CiRCLE. Kaoru never cut Lisa's narrative and listened attentively.

"To sum it up, Hina loves her sister, yet it's one-sided."

"Pretty much." Lisa sighed. "I want to help them, somehow, but neither of them ever talk about what happened between them." She rubbed her head. "Guess I'm a busybody just like Sayo said, ahaha..."

"You did the right thing, Lisa. I believe it's a friend's job to be involved when her companion is having hardships." Kaoru wore a reassuring smile. "Better to be a busybody rather than just do nothing when people you care about hurt, is it not?"

"Yeah…" Lisa stirred her acai bowl absentmindedly. "It's sad to see sisters don't get along like that." She took a spoonful of the mixed fruit smoothie. "I don't want to come up with this conclusion, but from the looks of it... I guess Sayo kinda resents Hina."

Kaoru rubbed her chin. "From what I gather, I believe Sayo cares about Hina in her own way," she said. "She won't bother to pick up Hina at the school gate if she hates her."

"Sayo visited our school? When?"

"The first Monday after Pastel✽Palettes' debut."

"Wow, Sayo's surprisingly sweet!"

Lisa learned another side of Sayo today. To think that the ever-stoic person like Sayo Hikawa would do that… Maybe Hikawa sisters' relationship wasn't as bad as she thought.

"I guess Sayo was worried about Hina's wellbeing at school." Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. "Unpleasant rumors about Hina spread like wildfire because of her band's mishaps…"

Lisa glanced at her phone. They were so absorbed in discussing Hina and Sayo that they forgot about the time. The 2-A students quickly finished their remaining food, then paid the bill.

"Let's resume our talk in the car."

"Car? I thought we're going there by train."

The concert venue was quite far from CiRCLE. Lisa didn't even dare to imagine the taxi fare. It was the end of the month, so she should manage her allowance and part-time salary well.

"Train? Did you mean the subway?" Kaoru's eyes sparkled in wonder like a child, in an exact same way as she did at the penny candy shop a while back. "Yes, let's take the train! I've always wanted to feel the sensation of commuting alongside other folks!"

"You talk as if you've never taken a commuter train..." Lisa giggled.

Kaoru brushed her hair. "Well, it is a fact that yours truly never got to ride one."

"Wait, so you're serious?"

Tokyo citizens and the underground railways were like best buddies. They always used the intricate subway network to commute from one district to the other. What caused Lisa's classmate to be such a stranger with everyone's beloved transportation mode? Maybe Kaoru was exaggerating stuff like usual…

And while Lisa was pondering, Kaoru talked with someone through the phone, but she didn't catch what her friend was talking about because her mind wandered about.

As they left the area, Lisa saw a white Mercedes-Benz at the entrance. Its front door opened, revealing a middle-aged man in a suit. His hair was sleek and he grew a splendid-looking mustache.

"Here's the bouquets, Kaoru-sama," said the man as he gave a paper bag to Kaoru. "Are you certain of taking the subway?" His face looked troubled.

"Why, of course." Kaoru smiled. "I believe grandfather would understand that it's about the time for me to broaden my horizon."

"I understand." The man nodded at Kaoru. "Safe travels, Kaoru-sama." He smiled at Lisa and added, "Pleased to meet you, Imai-sama. I trust you to take care of our young lady."

The man bowed to Kaoru and Lisa, then re-entered the luxury sedan. And off he went, leaving little to no sound...

"I didn't know you own a luxury car and even hire a chauffeur to drive it, ahaha…"

"Oh, it's not mine," Kaoru clarified. "They belong to my grandfather."

"Wow…" Lisa couldn't hide her surprise. "What does your grandpa do?"

"What does he do? Hmm..." Kaoru rubbed her chin for a while before she said, "Oh, you and I own the same phone brand, right? My grandfather's company made those."

"...Your grandpa's company?"

"Yes, although one of my uncles is the one who manages things now."

Lisa gawked and unconsciously said, "Shut. Up."

»↠ ≈ ≈ ↞«

 **Author's Notes**

Long time no see (again)! First of all, I'm sorry for the old readers who might receive false updates last week. It was because I divided a couple of old chapters into two parts (so I need to slip two or three 'new-but-old' chapters in the process).

PasuPare's re-debut event will consist of three or four chapters, AND are connected with my other series "Twin Star Concerto". Thus, the updates for these two series will be simultaneous in one day. Be sure to check TSC as well!


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